graeme mitchell » on set

New Work: Adidas

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:38:08 +0000

For Adidas’ David Beckham FW10 line:

photo: for David Beckham’s Adidas FW10 from www.adidas.com, ©Graeme Mitchell / Adidas

photo: for David Beckham’s Adidas FW10 from www.adidas.com, ©Graeme Mitchell / Adidas
Stylist: Kemal and Karla w/ The Wall Group
Groomer: Cheri Keating w/ The Wall Group
Photo Assistants: Blake Williams, Charles Lee, Erika Shisler
Grip+Lighting Rental: Samys Camera Hollywood
Shot on location in LA

Adidas Essentials FW09 An Adidas job from this summer. Not retouched. photo: Adidas...
New Work, Paolla Rahmeier w/ IMG photo: ©Graeme Mitchell photo: ©Graeme Mitchell photo: ©Graeme Mitchell photo:...
New Work, Fashion, Emily Senko w/ Ford photo: ©Graeme Mitchell 2010 photo: ©Graeme Mitchell 2010 photo: ©Graeme...

Study FW10

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 15:28:28 +0000

Just finished Study by Tara St. James‘ FW10 book. Another beautiful season. And we decided to put those flower still lives I did recently to use by making diptychs. These will be printed large on newsprint…love love working on stuff like this.

photo: Study FW10 by Tara St. James. ©Graeme Mitchell

Hair and make-up: Jessa Blades
Model: Nykhor w/ Red

Study, Square Project, SS10 The look book for Study by Tara St James’ SS10...
Portrait: Tara St James The designer, Tara St. James. photo: Tara St. James, NYC,...
New Work: Adidas For Adidas’ David Beckham FW10 line: photo: for David Beckham’s...

W, making of…

admin — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:04:08 +0000

video: making of W, “The Art Issue,” 2009.

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Mario Testino

admin — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:57:31 +0000

Someone sent me these 3 videos on Mario Testino (thanks, Brandon!), and they literally came across my phone as I was looking at the current Testino spread in V magazine featuring Natalia. It was all fitting, since I was thinking of how Testino’s work is quit simple in many ways but that it nearly always works, and how he definitely deserves a nod for what he’s done over the years.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

From V:

photo: Natalia in V #58, S09. ©Mario Testino.

And an old favorite add that Testino shot for Gucci back in the good ol’days of Tom Ford. I believe this was from ’98, but don’t hold me to that.

photo: from Gucci campaign (1998?). ©Mario Testino.

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Marble androids

admin — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 23:42:19 +0000

A Polaroid sheet from a beauty and hair editorial we did yesterday, working title is marble androids, or maybe robo-statues. Hair was by Sarah Potempa and M.U. by Meredith Baraf, both at The Wall Group. More to come on this once the film is souped and dried.

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Covet, Spring ’08

admin — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 20:04:15 +0000

Some snaps Covet’s creative director, Tara took whilst we shot her spring ’08 line. It was hard not to feel a sadness there at Coney Island; neglect was apparent, and you could see that it’s long life was coming to an end. There was also a mood of bitterness, nostalgia and heartbreak amongst the proprietors, people who’ve lived and worked there their entire lives, and who were now watching the boardwalk fall into disrepair.

On another note: Tara did a great job on this season, some great pieces to photograph!

Location: Coney Island, NY.
Hair: Sarah Potempa w/ Wall Group.
Make-Up: Kehla.
Assistant: Aaron Modico.
And a big big thanks to J.T. at Cha Cha’s on the boardwalk for staging the shoot.

Portrait: Tara St James The designer, Tara St. James. photo: Tara St. James, NYC,...

Polaroids: Covet Fall 07

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 01:33:46 +0000

You have to love 690 Polaroid! The stuff is so old-school and far from accurate (by todays standards) it toes the line of nonsense as a proof, and it’s poetic for that very reason. But why spend $18 for a pack of the poetic? Well, I use it b/c it’s iso 100 (a default), b/c I’m used to it, and b/c it looks like shit compared to the film, which can be a good thing; if you’ve ever shot Fuji’roid you know it can be sexier than many a proof sheets – no doubt making for the occasional anticlimax.

Anyway, these are from the freshly wrapped Covet Fall 07 line. In my opinion this is some of the strongest work yet by Covet’s designer, Tara St. James. I can only imagine what she’s going to be pulling out of her bag of tricks in the seasons to come. About tricks from bags, I should give credit to Mr. Steve Steckly for showing me the tricks of one of the odder technical aspects of this shoot, geeky stuff.

Polaroid: Covet Fall 07, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2007

Oh, and I can’t not post this one, which Tara saw, then turned to me and said with stark sincerity, “you’re creepy looking.”

Polaroid: Covet Fall 07, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2007

The team:
Hair: Gregory.
M.U.: Munemi w/ See
Girl Model: Catie Parker w/ Elite NY
Boy Model: Marcus w/ Next NY
First Assist+Lighting Tech: Aaron Binaco
Location/Studio: Northside Bank in Williamsburg

Portrait: Tara St James The designer, Tara St. James. photo: Tara St. James, NYC,...
Study, Square Project, SS10 The look book for Study by Tara St James’ SS10...

Polaroids from Spring Editorial

admin — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:54:18 +0000

Polaroids from a spring editorial. Keep your eyes on the newsstands, should hit’em in May.

polaroid: ©Graeme Mitchell, 2007

Details:
Styling: Anna Shimonis
M.U.: Meredith Baraf
Hair: Sarah Potempa
Model: Marissa w/ Elite
Location: Studio 814 (yes, a special thanks to Studio 814 who facilitated our every need.)

Print Edition: Legs in Hotel This post is the first of a new category of...

4×5 for Fashion Photography

admin — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 23:03:14 +0000

When shooting 4×5 it’s not uncommon for other photographers to inquire about the camera I use, b/c the camera itself is a bit uncommon, so I figured it was worth noting here. First a little background, when I originally set out to find a 4×5, I searched for some time trying to find one that suited my style of shooting fashion and portraits, both on location and in the studio. I wanted a camera that was tuff, small, quick to operate, but also with decent bellow draw and movements to spare on both standards. These criteria ruled out everything I knew of. Finally, I was informed about the Linhof Color.

A hidden gem, it’s been out of production for ages as far as I can tell, but it basically amounts to a Linhof Technika on a rail. It’s built like a tank, sexy, and I can fit it, a few lenses, and holders in a Domke bag.

As I side note, yeah, sure, for the most part a 67 RZ can cover almost everything, but for that extra 3%…well, a nice piece of sheet film can be something else.

photo: Covet Spring ’07, ©Graeme Mitchell, 2006

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Avedon’s Studio

admin — Sat, 09 Dec 2006 15:20:37 +0000

If you’re shooting in NYC and need to rent a studio, consider Avedon’s old studio. It is neither particularly big, nor is the location fun, but neither of these qualms can possibly deter from that auspicious cyc.

I can imagine Avedon brooding around those halls alone, rife with anxiousness, looking at the board of dimly illuminated work prints riddled with his corrections…possibility and history weighing upon him…

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A Team.

admin — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 16:42:34 +0000

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 first call for hair on my shoots.

This is a shot we all did together:

Portrait: Kevin Baker, for Interview The painter, Kevin Baker for Interview, Aug 09. photo: Kevin...

Editorial in L.A.

admin — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 14:21:40 +0000

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!).

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.

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.

Print Edition: Legs in Hotel This post is the first of a new category of...

Covet Spring ’07 Look Book

admin — Sun, 26 Nov 2006 00:07:20 +0000

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.

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.

Study FW10 Just finished Study by Tara St. James‘ FW10 book. Another...
Portrait: Tara St James The designer, Tara St. James. photo: Tara St. James, NYC,...
Study, Square Project, SS10 The look book for Study by Tara St James’ SS10...