editorial: INTRODUCING RICKY OWENS @ Soul Artist Mgmt.

model: RICKY OWENS @ soul artist mgmt.

ph. Tarrice Love

styling: Tarrice Love

I recently  had the opportunity  to  work with rising star, Ricky Owens, of  soul artist management. This young man has a whole lotta edge as well as just lush raw beauty. Ricky is originally from Akron, Ohio, but he has definitely left the ol’ home town behind. With a-list campaigns and  high profile  editorials, Ricky is  definitely  one to watch.

Video 71 from tarrice love on Vimeo.

I was inspired by  the designs of Jean Paul Gaultier and  the  classic-ness of  suits and  ties. I  purchased a  suit jacket  from the  Goodwill  near  my  house and  decided to  customize it  for  his  shoot.

notes and  references  that  inspired  the  styling  for   Ricky's  shoot.....

model: RICKY OWENS @ soul artist mgmt.

ph. Tarrice Love

styling: Tarrice Love

portrait session: MATTHEW COATSWORTH @ soul artist mgmt.

model: MATTHEW COATSWORTH

ph. Tarrice Love

styling: Tarrice Love

A while back, I had the  wonderful opportunity  to work  with  model and  web entrepreneur Matthew Coatsworth.

He  and  his  brother  Andrew have  started an online  shopping  experience  called coatsworth.com. It’s kind of like a Pinterest where everyone goes on and shares images, but on Pinterest, you can’t buy anything. The idea is to have members dictate what products they’ll be selling on their site. Members can post photos of clothing, home decor or anything that tickles their fancy, and the brothers will either stock those items, or provide links to where it could be purchased.

Members will also have the ability to ‘Love’ or ‘Coat’ a photo and become trendsetters by racking up points.

They get points off of it and matthew and  andrew  keep track so they can get more exposure and create a following, so now they’re also influencing trends and not just buying.

For now, though, members will only be able to post photos so that they can first test the waters and get an idea of some hot items people are looking for. The full site will be available this year around April.

check out the  video below  to see  exactly  how it works.

Website Demo from Coatsworths.com on Vimeo.

WHY ARE YOU SO THIRSTY?

model: SEAN ROBINSON @ currently unsigned

ph. Tarrice Love

styling:  Tarrice Love

When i first came to  nyc, magazines  useta pay us photographers to do editorials
I would get between $1200 to $1700 to shoot an editorial for bullshit ass magazines I  never heard of . I even  had the  opportunity to  shoot  Olympic swimmer Cullen Jones for  Men's  Vogue.... and they  paid me. Now magazines  dont pay  us  nothing..... why do you think that  is? Newcomer photographers  have  come along offering their photographic  services  for  free in return  for  tear sheets  and  bragging rights with the  hopes of getting representation. - they  cancelled out  paying  photographers and  in the process they have  cancelled  themselves out of  making  money when  they  shoot with  random  magazines   for the  tear sheet or  "exposure"  for free.

I don't really shoot editorials for  free and  they  don't  ask.... they  know if they want the  caliber of work i produce and  my expertise,   they  gotta  come out of pocket. I haveta  really like  the  magazine  and  believe in it to even  consider  shooting for  free. these lil online  mags don't  supply  enough  exposure to  make it worth  doing for  free. all the  tear sheets  in the  world  from  no-name  mags  isn't gonna  help you get representation. it also  hurts  your  relationship  with modeling  agencies. Over saturating the  market  with a  model's likeness with these  unknown  magazines  tends to  cheapen the model's image  with  advertisers making  it  more  difficult for  their  agents  to  negotiate a higher rate. It's  not about being  EVERYWHERE, its  about being in the  right places....seen by the  right  people.

fashion is  all about  exclusivity esp  w/ representation. That is  why i'm  very  selective about  where i put my work. i'm thinking  about the  bigger  picture. fuck bragging rights, they  don't pay rent.

introducing BLAINE COOK @ soul artist mgmt.

model: BLAINE COOK @ Soul Artist Mgmt.

ph. Tarrice Love

styling:  Tarrice Love

I got an email from Andrew @ Soul Artist Management saying that top model Blaine Cook was in town and would like for me to photograph him. I was so excited because I have followed his career from the beginning and loved the body of work he's done.

He's worked with some of the most amazing photographers in the world like Steven Miesel for Calvin Klein and Vogue Italia. He's also appeared in some of my favorite magazines like GQ Style, V Man and Arena Homme +. I was a little nervous and intimidated. What could I possibly add to his portfolio that he didn't have already?

ph. Steven Miesel for  Vogue Italia

ph. Steven Miesel for  Calvin Klein

When Blaine arrived, we sat down and chatted a bit about his career and what he felt he needed from me. We decided to go with images that we classic and clean that would showcase a maturer side of Blaine. That was right up my alley.....classic and clean is what i'm know for.

model: BLAINE COOK @ Soul Artist Mgmt.

ph. Tarrice Love

styling:  Tarrice Love

CUTTING OFF THE BANDS feat. AARON SPADY

model: AARON SPADY

ph. Tarrice Love

styling: Tarrice Love 

Somebody asked me why did i cut the underwear bands off?

here's why. 

I get underwear companies hitting me up all the time offering me "free" underwear to use in my photography. After I thought about it, i realize that they'd be getting me and the model to promote their product for free. They have no reason to ever pay me to photograph their brand if i'm already doing it for free. I'd be cancelling myself and the model out of possible earnings. 

When my work (with their brands) appears on my internet outlets i am also introducing their products to all of my followers and viewers (who are also potential customers). They are making money because my images are helping sell their brand and they didn't pay me or the models who appear in the images. I decided to follow the same politics that editor of American Vogue Anna Wintour uses.... She does not use clothing in editorials from designers (or their corporate backers) who don't pay for ad space. Its also the same reason many of these online magazines can't get advertising support. They feature countless designer brands on their online pages and pages for free. Why would a design company pay you for one or 2 pages of ad space if you are already doing it for nothing?

Unless its a designer or brand i am supporting (weather i'm paid to photograph it or i am doing so for personal reasons), I find creative ways to hide it. Like my Granny useta say "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"