graeme mitchell

Maybe the last for a while. I’ve been too busy.

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

I visited my grandparents b/c my Grandpa had recently suffered a stroke. I’d not seen him in years, and it was due time. I spent summers with them while growing up, and came to associate certain things with them: a dartboard, electric blankets, a clock… They still have all of these things, and seeing them again was not initially noteworthy. Then, while in the bathroom, I saw my Grandpas shaving drawer and for some bloody reason it was deeply deeply moving to me. It was so ordered and neat; yet it contained many of the same products I use; yet it was my frail Grandpas - all at once that drawer symbolized for me what it is to be human, to grow old, to struggle with what will we can muster in the face of the transitory absurdity life. At that moment I wished I was a poet, but all I could manage was to shoot the one roll of film I had with me.

photo: my Grandpa’s shaving drawer, Windsor Ontario, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: my Grandma’s electric blanket, Windsor Ontario, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: my Grandpa’s rec-room, Windsor Ontario, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: my Grandpa and his dog, Windsor Ontario, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

You’ll often hear me refer to a team or crew, and obviously it’s a group of people I work with, but maybe I should point out how tantamount they are. A huge part to doing an effective fashion shoot is coordinating and communicating with your team to realize an idea. I’m talking about stylists, hair, make-up, models, assistants, techs, retouchers, set-designers, everyone. They’re all important and contribute to the outcome. If collaboration is not something you’re into, okay, but then you need to include a good producer in that list too. To burst all the photographer as artiste egos out there: releasing a shutter turns out to be a minor part of it all.

Every photographer is different, but I think there’s something to be said about a small team, say 6 people on set tops. Once you start to get more than that distractions are too naturally occurring (hence closed sets, or to send everyone away except the model when shooting). Sure, I long at hearing the tales of the intimate shoots of Helmut Newton with one assistant and a naked model, or of Penn shooting models who would have done all their own hair, m.u., and styling, but you can have a lot of fun with a good crew of people, and moreover, if you allow an open creative dialogue amongst the group amazing work can come about.

Anyway, this probably boring rambling came about when I found this picture in my temp folder:

photo: Sarah Potempa and I, Sarah’s Apt in Chelsea, Halloween 2006

It is me and my favorite hairstylist the world over, Sarah Potempa (w/ the wall group) on Halloween. She is always the #1 call for hair on my shoots. Give me her and Meredith Baraf (also w/ the wall group), and pow, it’s on. The problem is, when you’re as good as they are, you work ALL THE TIME, so it can make it tricky for them to be had.

This is a shot we all did together:

photo: model test in J. Mendel gown, photographer’s studio, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2005

I just visited LA for a week and shot two editorial specs with the stylist Kenny Wujek (older bro of Johnny Wujek, another stylist there). One day we shot in Johnny’s driveway in Hollywood: roll of white seamless, a case of bud light, and 80 weather (read: rad!).

photo: models on set, Hollywood CA, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: outtake, Hollywood CA, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: outtake, Hollywood CA, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

The other day we shoot around Kenny’s house, this overgrown, grungy dream on Hollywood and Highland. The whole place was a series of natural sets that couldn’t have been designed any better.

photo: outtake, Hollywood CA, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: outtake, Hollywood CA, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

It was two totally different shoots that interested me equally. On white always fascinates me, b/c it’s a test of parring an image down to it’s fundamentals. On the other hand, a really great location is always a treat, but technically the images must coordinate with the location and yet cannot be allowed to become gimmick. It’s a conflict for me being attracted to and producing such seemingly different images, and I only hope that people can sense an underlying and consistent sensibility throughout.

I’m not sure how this happened, as I like color pictures a great deal, but there’s a simplicity and a difficulty to working in B&W that I’ve had an ongoing love affair with since, well, since I can recall. Give me a case of Tri-x or Plus-x, and I’m happy happy.

Most of what I shoot I process myself in small tanks. But when I shoot sloppy, feel it’s out of my realm, shoot sheet film, do anything of huge importance, or if I simply don’t have time, I take my film to Jim at MV labs.

I’m mentioning this for no other reason than I think he’s nice guy, and I appreciate people who care about what they do (he does). It’s not a common thing as far as my experience dictates. In addition to this, Jim’s a wealth of information and is always game to chew the fat, even when I’m persisting with an inane line of thought while the much to do about something, Antonin Kratochvil, is waiting to be helped.

photo: fashion test on TX@800, Brooklyn NY, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2005

photo: editorial w/ Alexandra Richards on TX@800, photographer’s studio, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

For those interested, Jim’s default soup is seasoned HC-110, and he does development by inspection to dial in the times for every job. Take him TX and he’ll make it sing, or for a real treat try TMZ rated @ 1600.

from Sept.

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

I try and get to the MOMA every few months on Friday eves when it’s free. Usually I’ll just wander through the photo section and spend what time I have there, but one painting I can always drop in and visit is Andrew Wyeth’s “Christina’s World.”

Andres Wyeth’s, “Christina’s World”

Yes, I’m a bit embarrassed to admit this. If it is provincial American work, and isn’t particularly art trendy, it still invents a wonderful narrative for me…kind of conjures Ralph Eugene Meatyard and Faulkner.

photo by Ralph Eugene Meatyard

I shot two editorial celebrity portraits a bit ago, well okay not celebrities but more like an 80s actress and a writer. With the actress, Molly Ringwald, I had 12 minutes and a TV crew chomping at the bit to have their go. With the writer, Itamar Moses, I was given a subject who was very very ill in the stomach, great sport regardless. You can sum up the method of shoots like these as, a balancing act. It’s great fun though, and I hope to do more of in the future, could be an outlet for some strong work.

photo: Molly Ringwald, 42nd St. Studios NYC, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006


photo: Itamar Moses, photographer’s studio, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

I look much to literature for inspiration, and much to film. I don’t know anything about cinematography except that most contemporary work is of little interest to me, but the work I’ve seen of Christopher Doyle’s has always impressed me in it’s beauty and it’s effortlessness. See In the Mood for Love, Hero, 2046, Chungking Express. The Wong Kar Wai films can be trying, but visually they’re worth the effort I think.

still from 2046

still from 2046

still from Hero

I wrapped the cover shoot for the electronica musician Mano-Destra’s sophomore album. He’s an old friend, but that does not lend any bias to my opinion that he’s a brilliant musician. I’m going to keep the final pick under wraps so he can release it on his own accord. I am pleased with it, especially for how well it coincides thematically w/ the first album cover we shot (it’s a 3 album trilogy), and furthermore how the imagery is paralleling the evolution of the music.

The 3rd album, whenever we do it, will have a high bar to pass.

photo: outtake, Mano-Destra, Portland OR, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

This is the first cover we shot for the album Ignoring Eleven Steps. Here the image is cropped for my book; in the square original the painting continues to the left.

photo: Mano-Destra, Portland OR, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2004

I’ve come to appreciate good street photography (Trent Parke (amazing work, Trent), Alex Majoli, etc) over the last few years as I became aware of some’s unique ability to make creative, consistent images in a restricted and uncontrollable environment. At the same time it was never something I was interested in doing, at all. Then Aug rolled around ,and I couldn’t sleep b/c it was so hot, and all this other crap was piling up in my head that I needed to get out. So I began just walking around with my camera at 4am with a few rolls of film in my pocket, shooting free-form, not thinking about it at all, not even thinking that I’d ever bother developing the film. It was simple therapy for the stressed out and sleep deprived.

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006
Thus the NYC journal series was born. I’ll never be a street photographer, don’t be mistaken there, but I stumbled upon this way photography could function in a different manner for me. I usually approach images intellectually, wrought with over-thought, this on the other hand was %100 visceral.

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

My interest has been piqued enough by the work to make a gallery on my main site and share it, even at the risk of confusing people as to what I’m up to. There’s so much more of it though I thought I’d post some of the extras on here.

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

photo: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

(I suspect this project may be fleeting, if only b/c it’s time consuming and distracting (a feeling I have about this blog deal!), but also b/c my interest may be exhausted sooner rather than later. Or rather, it began as a necessity, and when it no longer is I will have no desire to further it.

I worry I’m too fickle for this picture farming life. Hope to outlive my capriciousness.)

I was reading Beckett’s trilogy the other day, and coincidentally I found myself not long after in the bookstore looking at Avedon’s In The American West. Something came together having experienced the two back to back, and it was a moment of what Gaddis may refer to as a recognition. Both a recognition of the effectiveness of Beckett’s and Avedon’s art, and moreover the validity I find in it personally. I say this simply, but it was a profound encounter on my part.

Photo: from In the American West ©Richard Avedon

Avedon’s work In The American West remains for me a pinnacle of photography parred down to an idea. The portraits have nothing to do with the subjects, and everything to do with Avedon’s philosophies, his Malloy and Malone and Murphy.

On the topic of Avedon, if you’ve never read his essay, “Borrowed Dogs,” you should; it’s lovely,

Just dropped the final press files for the Covet Spring ‘07 look book. I usually wouldn’t mention or post a commercial job like this, but the designer, Tara, has become a good friend over the last 3 books we’ve shot together, and I wanted to giver her and her cool line a nod. It’s always a pleasure working with her. She fits right into the team’s vibe: super chill, fun, loves the good food & coffee on set, and understands what it means to do good work.

Photo: Covet Spring 07, Brooklyn NY, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

The crew met at call and had a quick morning pow-wow on what we were feeling, and then decided to approach the shoot with a vague “1950s couples” theme. If you’re not depending on a concept, sometimes it’s best to gather the elements with little intentions, and then let the shoot take on a life of its own and just roll with it. Not an uncommon approach with editorial, but it takes a cool commercial client to have that kind of faith.

Photo: Covet Spring 07, Brooklyn NY, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

Some candids:

Photo: model, ©Graeme Mitchell

Photo: client, Tara, under the dark cloth + old timer chilling, ©Graeme Mitchell

I’m excited for next Fall’s book. It’s the first time we’re going to the studio. I’ve already shot a test for it, and it’s going to be sexy sexy.

This is a test. Initially not real keen on the blog, half-man-half-computer, mrdiggles.com set me up after much convincing by him and his cohorts at dbclay.com. The pro-blog arguement went something like, it’s the future!

We’ll see…

Hopefully, it will offer a place for outtakes, notes, polaroids, work not for my official portfolio, and in general a place to share my experience of working as a photographer. It will be approached with moods of earnestness, irony, and dry dry humor. No clues will be offered to dileniate such.

To begin a bit of context is in order: I was born in 1980. Lived in small rural areas for the early years. Studied literature. Always loved taking pictures. One thing led to another, and in Sept 2005 I moved to NYC to work as a photographer. Here now I live and struggle and try to understand my work. I take it too seriously. That I am the terribly trite cliche of a starving artist does not escape me…

That’s it for now, but pony on up to the bar and join me whenever you feel like it, and I’ll enunciate the little I’ve learned and mumble about everything else I can’t figure out at all.

Photo: self-portrait, photographer’s apartment, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006