Time for Change...

change - [cheynj] –verb

To make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone: to change one's name; to change one's opinion; to change the course of history.

Life is about change. It is about growth. It is about transformation. It is about evolution. Remember, either you evolve or you die. You can take this figuratively or literally. If a human-being doesn’t learn to change, form and adapt they die (think of a baby). If someone has a career, product or service, if they don’t evolve, they die (look at WordPerfect…). If you as an artist don’t grow and evolve over time, guess what? You will die as well. (Pick any artist of the 80s) So your whole life inside and out is about change and growth and that is the message of this blog today.

When I would look at photographers’ work, I would marvel at how the “biggies” evolved with their styles, talents, techniques and technology. When the Richard Avedon exhibit was in New York, I was amazed at the wonders of his photography and manipulation of negatives and prints (the precursor to Photoshop) to when he picked up a digital camera and moved along with the times. Could he have stayed with shooting film? Of course. He was (and still is) one of our film producing masters, however, he knew back then that when the digital world took hold, he had to shit or give off the proverbial pot. He chose the former and we are so much better for it today.

As a photographer and artist, for those who know me over the span of my life, I was always one to embark on something and give it my myopic obsessive all. I’ve studied and got my degree in classical music, I’ve traveled the globe as a singer. I’ve moved along with the vocal tides of the world’s changing music. I crossed over into health and fitness and began a career as a personal trainer for a short time. It was the same when I picked up the camera. It was an artistic tool for me to pick up and transform whatever I saw in front of me. I remember when I took my very first “professional” image (at the time, for me professional was not necessarily getting paid per se, but about to take a photographic image and knew what the hell I was doing). I was up and well on my way and through the influence of all things around me, like other photographers I began to develop a photographic style. Of those of you who know me, it developed into a very slick, glossy, vibrant expressive style (the kind of work you would see on campaigns). My lighting is intriguing, almost cinemagraphic in its approach and when people would ask me about my lighting, they would marvel at the simplicity of it. Photographers are about smoke and mirrors. It is our job to create an illusion that we want you to see. I got an incredible crew in place and we produce wondrous images.

But you get to a point where you go “been there, done that” and you have to go about making changes in yourself for yourself. I’ve seen photographers work I’ve admired two – three years ago and I view their work today, and guess what? Nothing has changed. It is still the same images they took yester-year. The same thing that would originally draw you to an image is now boring, mundane and lackluster. I realize that if I want to be successful in this business, I have to get on the bandwagon and go about changing my photographic style, yet, still keeping the true essence of Dallas in the mix.

How does one go about this? It may be something as simple as a lighting set up. All photographers have a signature lighting set up. If they tell you otherwise, they are lying. Some are so secretive about it, that they won’t even let you on their shoots. So you may change your lighting set up. You may change the angle in which you shoot. You may change the type of models you photograph, the styles of the garments, the way you wish to have hair and makeup done. It may take place in the post production. Whatever it is. It is about change. Not everyone is going to like it, and you know what? So what. Not everyone will like what you are doing now. But if you don’t challenge yourself and evolve, you and your talent will die. Those that were hot a few years ago are not so hot now. Think about it.

I’m moving onward and upward towards change. It is scary, it is exciting and it is new. And I am going to love every minute of it.

Talk amongst yourselves.

Over the years...

2007






2008

















2009

























2010

Wait and see...

THE GROUP SHOW - THERE IS HOTNESS IN WILLIAMSBURG

The Group Show: The Best Emerging Photographers

October 16, 2009 - October 25, 2009

Exhibit Opening is 7pm - 10pm (can be viewed anytime). Please visit www.3rdward.com for studios hours of operation.

Location: Third Ward Studios, 195 Morgan Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11237, (718) 715-4961.

The show is sponsored by Rear Flag, Resource Magazine and Third Ward.

There was a photo competition sponsored by Third Ward Studios. Please check out their website for more information. The judges were: Peter van Agtmael (Magnum Photographer), Sean Fader (Fashion Institute of Technology) Amani Olu (Humble Arts Foundation) and Alexandra Niki (Resource Magazine).

Thousands of entries were submitted and this talented selection of judges picked 1 grand prize winner and 25 top photographers from entries submitted from not just the United States, but from around the world. The winners selected were:

Joshua Zucker Pluda (the grand prize winner).

Adam Abel
Jenny Anderson
Jesse Avina
Clint Baclawski
Craig Blankenhorn
Blane Bussey
Delphine Diallo
Amy Fichter
Ben Goddard
Erik Hagen
Ingrid Juliana Hernandez
Andrew Hirodo Grob
Frank Ishman
Jonathan Kambouris
Jito Lee
Dallas J. Logan (yours truly)
Chris Mackenzie
Evan Madin
Catharine Frances Maloney
Aaron McElroy
Elizabeth Raab
Jessica Rowe
Bernadette Torres
Cedric Yhuel
Joe Zorilla

I would love to post the images, but I want all of you who wish to attend to be pleasantly surprised, shocked, amazed and awe inspired (of course, next week, I will post the entries of each artist, but that will be after the exhibit opens). I wish I could say there was some central theme as to how the images were chosen. There was a wide range of selections from ethereal landscapes to road kill. The only thing we all had in common? We all produced some kind of hotness! Come through and join us. I know I will be there. I hope you will, too.

I will be updating this blog next week with everyones images.

ORIGINALITY?

I know as I type this blog it is going to cause a lot of controversy. But it was a long time coming. I also know that I will receive a lot of backlash because of it, but you know what? I don't care. It is something that needed to be discussed.

Photography has been around for almost 200 years in that time, everything and anything that can possibly be photographed has, from spectactular sunsets to awe inspiring landscapes. A baby's face to a flowing Valentino creation. Guess what, people? Nothing in photography is truly, truly original, which is the reason for writing this blog.

Photographers go through life viewing the world with their eyes. We see things that triggers emotions inside of us that forces our creative juices to bubble and froth and produce images that we as artist think are original, beautiful and one of a kind. Then you come to find out, that no, it isn't original, it isn't one of kind, however, it is yours.

Back in July, a wonderful California model (Milan Christopher) flew into town for a few short days and I got the inevitable call of "Dallas, I'm here, let's do this!!!!!" I rose to the occassion and I thought to myself; "just what am I going to do with this young man." I thought about it and lamented and in my quest to find something to do with him, I came across an beautiful Herb Ritts photograph where Naomi Campell is wrapped in black fabric that is blowing in an invisible wind. I loved it. I thought to myself; "that's a hot idea. Let me get some fabric."



Photographer: Herb Ritts

I thought about Milan's beautiful dark complexion and I thought about which color would go against him. I chose red. I set up the shoot, I shot it, I was was proud of it, and I posted it. Then, the fun began.

The first comment came from a model named Mike Mizzle. He says "damn, I know that imitation is a form of flattery, but couldn't you be original?" I asked myself "where did that come from?" Then I saw his image (he was photographed similarly by Tarrice Love just two week's prior - however, it wasn't until I posted this image that I realized this). The similarities? Black male models, entombed in flowing fabric.


Photographer: Tarrice Love
Model: Mike Mizzel

That was where the similarities stopped. Eventually it became a barrage of nasty slinging comments from Tarrice Love supporters as well as Dallas J. Logan supporters and all I wanted to do was produce a beautiful image. Does it look like Mr. Love's image, that is for you to decide. Did I look to Mr. Love for inspiration, no. But the ruckus this image caused almost made me want to shut this whole production down (and I am glad I didn't). I wasn't going to allow myself to be bullied into altering my artistry, because someone else thought something different about it. A piece of fabric and a fan and a model is not original. I wasn't the first to do it, and neither was Mr. Love (I can guarantee you that even Ritts wasn't the first to do it, either) and neither will we be the last. But it is amazing how such a simple concept caused such nonsensical uproar.

I know one thing it did prompt me to do. A series. And because of that series, it has now been commissioned into an exhibit. Adversity is the building blocks of strength.

Go figure.

Model: Milan Christopher










Model: Paulo Pascoal










Model: Rumando Kelley











There will be more to come.

UPDATE TIME - IN THE LIFE OF DALLAS J. LOGAN

Oh God...

Oh God, oh God, oh God. I don't want to even look at the date of my last posting. If I do, I think I will throw up. I've been getting tons of Facebook messages, twitters, emails, textes (is that a word?) asking me when will I be doing another entry into my Blog. There are so many things going on in my life that I had to take a step back and regroup. This particular blog will just be a synopsis of to bring you up to date with the good, the bad and the ugly going ons in the life of Dallas J. Logan.

Let's see. I shot a jewelry campaign for a wonderful designer called Adha Zelma (look for the upcoming blog entry)

I had an entry selected in a photo competition for up and coming U.S. photographers and it will be on exhibit shortly (thank you, Bintou - look for the upcoming blog entry)

I've been commissioned by a museum in Amsterdam to shoot a series of artistic male work (and I will discuss the drama that unfolded behind that one).

I've been accused of stealing an photo concept, which incidentally turned into the exhibition that will be done for Amsterdam.

I photographed a wonderful fitness organization "Get Focused" (be on the look out for that entry).

I've shot some amazing magazine editorials with the team of Nick Smith and Adrian Adams also known as ArtandExile (be on the look out for that entry).

Created some amazing hotness with designer/stylist Robert Durant (he will be getting entry shortly).

And, lastly, my beloved camera (my Canon 5DMarkII) was unceremoniously stolen from my locker at Third Ward Studios in Brooklyn and I am not allowed to talk about it, because of legal proceedings that are forthcoming. I have a new one and I am back in business, but it was a devastating situation.

And of course, a bunch of new faces along the way... I will make sure you get to see them as well.
So you see people, between the death of Michael Jackson (RIP), and New York's Fashion Week, a lot has been going on and I stayed under the radar, however, I've still been shooting and producing hotness.

As you can see, I have my work cut out for me. So let me get started.

Dallas

RETOUCH - THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY...

I know, I know, I know. I know that I promised to be more diligent with my blogging entries, however, these past few months, Dallas has been a very busy man. I guess I can bring you up to date.

I've been shopping my book around to various agencies to seek representation. To date I've been to:

Jed Root
See Management
Ken Barboza Associates

I've received good reviews and good critiques from all as to how to tweak my book and bring it back. The few questions that were asked at each agency:

(a) how long have you been shooting?
(b) who does your lighting?
(c) what do you shoot with?
(d) who does your retouch?

Each answer was received with a surprise. All of them thought that I've been shooting for double digit years. They thought my lighting was impressive and they all loved my retouch. (I am currently working for all of them on retouching). Which prompted this blog today.

So as I am in the process of filling in the blanks of my portfolio (they wanted more "hair" work). They think beauty will be one of my biggest selling points (think Lancome, Maybelline, Pantene, etc.) not only were they impressed with my beauty work, they were more impressed with my retouching. To the point that a number of them now hire me out to some of the "biggies." Because I am under contract, I am not able to show some of the "before" work of some of these photographers, but once you start working with some of their "before" images you really get a good grasp as to what it takes to make an image magazine ready.

Before I even picked up a camera, I would always marveled at how in the WORLD did these models have such amazing skin. I would look through magazines and see pages upon pages upon pages of beautiful models with perfect figures, perfect hair, perfect eyes and perfect skin. I would always wonder where in the world did these models exist? They always seemed to be "discovered" in the unlikeliest of places (the subway, the library, the mall, etc.), however, I have never seen anyone that looked like this whenever I took the A train. Then my foray into fashion and hearing the terms airbrushed, and retouching and all of a sudden, it became an entirely different world for me.

I used to do desktop publishing years ago and I used to worked with a company called Manhattan Color Graphics and it was there that I had my first introduction to the world of retouch. These retouchers would work on these amazingly large screens of what appeared to be already beautiful models and I would see waistlines being slimmed, eyes being altered, necks being elongated, ears being reshaped. So once an advertisement was ready to go, the model eventually looked NOTHING LIKE the God given beauty she originally was. It was amazing. And since my eyes were opened, I was no longer impressed by any of the professional models that I did see.

Once you enter the world of fashion and beauty photography. it is an unrealistic world of perfection that most often times than not is unachievable. These models are the epitome of perfection. Understand that beauty isn't about looks necessarily (because honestly, looks are subjective), it is about symmetry. The distance between the two eyes in relationship to the ears. The shape of the nose in relationship to the cheeks. The size of the mouth in relationship to the chin/jaw line. It is true, that DNA gives us the foundation to play with, however, it is the magic and artistry of the retoucher that brings it to life. Most photographers have the ability to retouch, however, when you get up into the realms of the Michael Thompsons, the Steven Meisels, the Bruce Webers, the Jill Greenbergs, your work is outsourced to a few digital artist that takes the face and body of an already beautiful Naomi Campbell and take her looks to otherworldly!

So every time you look at a magazine ad and fashion/beauty editorials, those images have been retouched in some way shape or form.

In the real world business of photography, it is the job of the photographer to light and capture the image. From there he/she sends a proof of images to the client. Once the client has made their final selection, it is sent off to a retoucher to do the finishing touches and make it magazine ready. I am privy to a lot of photographers images now that I been hired to do retouching, and let me just say one thing: wow.










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