Wednesday, December 28, 2016

PYT: Johanna Thuresson at Le Management in Copenhagen pt.1

model: Johanna Thuresson - @johannathuresson
(le Management - Copenhagen Soul Artist Mgmt - NYC)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
styling: Tarrice Love

Blonde, blue-eyed, and has a classic All American dream girl look. From countless editorials to her campaigns, Johanna's sexy-but-sweet down-to-earth appeal that's beautiful and bankable. When Johanna entered my studio space I was immediately blown away my her natural beauty... like a movie star. I wanted to celebrate  her natural beauty with the natural light coming thru my windows. I also took a  beaded purse and turned it into a bustier. She looks  so pretty in these images...reminds me of fresh air.

model: Johanna Thuresson - @johannathuresson
(le Management - Copenhagen Soul Artist Mgmt - NYC)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
styling: Tarrice Love



Thursday, December 22, 2016

THE REALITY OF LIVING MY DREAM.....




I am Tarrice Love. I was born and raised in Memphis, Tn. My mom was a teen mother raising two boys alone, so I was accustom to living in "struggle-type" situations. I have spent my life using my creativity taking nothing and turning it into something. I wanted to be an artist in the fashion industry so I taught myself how to sew by taking clothes apart and putting them back together again. My granny was in medical school and she would get me and my little brother to draw her anatomy assignments... that help me to understand the human body and its relationship with clothing. I read every book I could find in the public library about fashion and art.

After my bother died (he shot himself while playing with a gun at a friend's house), I decided to go to college and study fashion design. That is when I discovered my love for photography. I was working at the local newspaper in the mailroom to help pay for school. I barely made enough to pay for books and art supplies. None of the local magazine would hire me as a photographer and none of the local model agencies would let a black man from South Memphis photograph their pristine white girls. I worked with my friends and classmates from college. After much resistance, I came to terms with the limited possibilities of living a fashion dream in Memphis was unlikely. I didn't want to give up because momma didn't raise no quitters. I decided to aim high. I told myself if I was gonna be broke and struggling, I might as well do so in a place I had a real chance to live my dream.



On October 27th, 2006 I packed my camera, computer, and my savings of $650 and moved to New York City to pursue my dream of being a noted fashion photographer. I started out couch crashing at photographer/model William Springfield's apartment in the Bronx. I really didn't know him but we became friends thru Black Planet, a social media website for black folks to connect with each other. I was taking a major leap of faith and basically moving in with someone i hardly knew. I transferred my job at FedEx working the elevator for International Customs to be a part-time foot courier in Manhattan. I didnt know what being a foot courier meant but I thought this was the best situation for me. A morning job with health care and benefits that allowed me a flexible schedule and freedom to pursue photography on my terms.



I start every morning waking up at 4am to get as much done before catching the 6:30am  subway train to Manhattan to do my "Clark Kent" (FedEx foot courier job). I call it my "Clark Kent" because of the way ppl ignore me when i'm in that uniform and the amount of work we haveta do within the time frame we have to do it. Its a grueling 100+ block radius with only a few hours to deliver. After work, I take my burning calves and swollen feet back home. I eat something right quick before models start arriving for any scheduled shooting. After the photoshoots are done i'm so tired, I usually skip dinner, try to get some retouching done and go to bed and at 4am the cycle starts all over again

I never anticipated the high cost of living and the constant inundation all around me of the things and experiences I cannot afford and how it slowly breaks you down inside. I couch crashed with Will for almost a year before I overstayed my welcome and had to move. I then moved to Williamsburg Brooklyn with a college friend for a few months until i found this place in Bedstuy that I share with 3 other guys. With the gentrification of our neighborhood, our "affordable" $2600 per month rent keeps going up and my hours at work keep going down. Along with rent, we even split all the gas, electric, and other utilities. Luckily when photoshoot gigs are slow and inconsistent my granny steps in and pays my cell phone bill for me.

The pressure of having and maintaining my steady part time job is becoming not so steady anymore. Last summer I was almost terminated and had to devote more attention to keeping main source of income. Modeling agencies and magazines rarely pay for  photoshoots and pressure us to deliver quality work fast, for FREE is beginning to drive me crazy. I don't have family and friends in New York to lean on for support. I'm here by myself.  All this has taken its toll on my morale.

Their are millions of people in New York but this is the loneliest place i've ever lived. Its extremely difficult to develop genuine relationships... people are on their hustle, with their hands out, ready to use you for whatever they can get and move on. Sometimes I feel like I am still at the bottom of the hill i've helped so many people climb. Years of this has chipped away my confidence and and self-worth and left me feeling empty, drained and frustrated. At the end of the day, I  haveta take off my delivery man uniform and perpetuate a false front of a glamorous life because that's what fashion photography is suppose to do - provide a visual doorway into a life of beauty and glamour.


In comparison to many, I am blessed. People believe I have this amazing life surrounded by amazing people. I get to work with top models, actors, dancers, performers, and athletes . I have a cool relationship with some of the biggest agencies in the world. I am creating images that impact people's lives and inspire other artist. I am in the city of dreams living mine. Now that I've come to point where the excitement of it has basically disappeared, I am fortunate enough to have a job and getting enough paid gigs to pay my bills at the end of the month.


I grew up actually believing that having talent, being willing to sacrifice and if i put in a lot of hard work, I could be anything I wanted to be. Despite being a young black male living in one of the poorest areas in Memphis, I still believed in the idea of the American Dream. I believed in the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Sometimes I find it more difficult to believe in something that I can't see.


 I just want people  who are inspired by my work  to understand how real my struggle is and despite everything I still wake up every single morning and pray to God for understanding and strength to be motivated to keep trying and believing that things will be for the better. I am living in the most difficult times of my life but I still believe that I am suppose to be here.... producing work that is inspiring and life changing for myself and the people around me. #lovewashere


Monday, December 12, 2016

next male supermodel: ISHA BLAAKER @ Soul Artist Mgmt


model: Isha Blaaker - @ishablaaker
(Soul Artist Mgmt - Elite Paris - Models1 - London
Modelwerk - Hamburg - Elite - Sweden - MC2 - Miami
Max Models - Netherlands)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
styling: Tarrice Love

Isha Blaaker was born in the South American country of Suriname in a city called Paramaribo but he spent most of his life in Holland. Now he is one of the leading male models traveling all over the world.

The first time I saw Isha was on social media. I started following him and reached out to him and told him if he ever was in nyc to hit me up so we could work together. about a year and a half later he hit me up and told me he had recently signed with Soul Artist Management (one of the top modeling agencies in America) and he was coming to America.

I went into Soul Artist and and sat down with booker OJ Williams and told him I wanted to photograph Isha. We set it up.....and made it happen. 
He arrived that Saturday, late.....I was watching Think Like A Man and made him watch the end of it with me. During that time we clicked and became more than just model/photographer.... we became friends. 



model: Isha Blaaker - @ishablaaker
(Soul Artist Mgmt - Elite Paris - Models1 - London
Modelwerk - Hamburg - Elite - Sweden - MC2 - Miami
Max Models - Netherlands)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
styling: Tarrice Love



Isha isn't your typical male model. He has a lot of charm and personality. He is a lot of fun to be around and he makes work so much fun. He knows how to balance being professional and whimsical. Those Green eyes and that smile is winning......


He's one of a handful of black male models who is consistently working. If you follow him on social media you will see him in a different country almost every week. He's done shows and presentations for New York Fashion Week, tv commercials for Macy's and JC Penny's, and campaigns for H&M, Sean John, and Bjorn Borg




I have worked with a lot  of models but Isha is one of a small handful of people in NY who I would call my family. We've share birthdays, holidays and hung out for no reason. Most people in NY have a "hustle" mentality and tend to "use and go."  Isha wasn't like that....he was open to building a genuine friendship that extends beyond photoshoots. I am so thankful to have good people like him in my life. 



Thursday, December 1, 2016

DO YOU REALLY WANNA SHOOT WITH ME?

actor/model: Art Stroman - @stro_sho
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove

I started doing photography because it gave me the opportunity to combine art and fashion together to make people see themselves and others  in a  new and different way. People reach out to me all the  time wanting to work with me...but they to lend the opportunity for creative freedom. They come through the door with rules and limitations. They want to create images that reflect how they see themselves. When working with fashion models, they want images that reinforce an idea that has been designed by their management teams. I end up recreating images they already have in their portfolio. The model and their management have a hard time filtering through photographers and trusting their vision. They are taking a risk every time  they step in front of a photographers lens...some of them are creepy and  don't necessarily have  the models best interest in mind. Its easier to play it safe and stick to the basics... you can't go wrong with basics.

actor/model: Art Stroman - @stro_sho
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove

Trust, it’s probably one of the hardest things to gain from a person. Giving control of your image to someone else and trusting that they will have your best interest in difficult. Digital photography advancements  have made it easier for anyone with access to a camera and  equipment to call themselves a photographer and harder to trust. The trust you have to have and give a photographer is really what it takes to make amazing photos.

 


actor/model: Art Stroman - @stro_sho
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove

I struggle with trying to give people what they say they want from me and  being creative. I moved to New York to create images that are timeless, classic, classy, and spark conversation. In this image congested world, I want you to remember you saw my work.

I was watching an interview with 90's waif supermodel Kristen McMenamy where she talked about when photographers had control and trusting them enough to give it her all for the picture. I am thankful and blessed to have worked with so many people who trust me and allow me to be an artist...even when it pushes them out of their comfort zone. When people step in front of my camera, one of my first thought is to make  the person feel comfortable, next I want them to trust my vision, and  once I have established a level of trust I want to create the best photo I have ever taken. I celebrate in every opportunity where I get to challenge myself and utilize my artistry to create an image I can't stop staring at.

Wednesday, November 23, 2016

SHOWING SOME LOVE for Jordun Love at New York Models

model: Jordun Love - @jordunlove
(New York Model Mgmt - Major Milan - Next Model Mgmt LA)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove

the first time I noticed Trinidadian model/ dancer Jordun Love was in a video about fashion diversity on top model Shaun Ross's page. Shaun had tagged everyone in the video and I clicked on every tag until i found I found Jordun. I reached out to him about working together and we scheduled a day to make it happen. He came all the way from Philadelphia in the middle of a snow storm to work with me.
I didn't expect him to show up because of the weather...but he did...and he was on time. He was very professional and personable. That's rare for someone barely out of his teens. 
Love is his real name (like mine) but we are not related.

After shooting with me, he took the images and met with agencies seeking representation and got signed pretty quickly. He is currently represented by New York Model management, Next Model Mgmt in LA., and Major in Milan.

Jordun Love's dance background and slender frame lends itself perfectly to stomp the runways of major designers like Givenchy, Kenzo, Custo and many others.
He recently snagged the principal male lead in pop artist Kehlani's new music video for her single Distraction.

Kehlani - Distraction [music video]
Jordun Love principle lead




He's appeared in major campaigns for United Colors of Benetton and Esprit (see above) 

model: Jordun Love - @jordunlove
(New York Model Mgmt - Major Milan - Next Model Mgmt LA)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove

Monday, November 14, 2016

ONNYS AHO @ Elite Paris & Independant Milan

model: Onnys Aho - @onnys_aho
(Elite Paris - Independent Milan)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
styling: Tarrice Love

model: Onnys Aho - @onnys_aho
(Elite Paris - Independent Milan)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
styling: Tarrice Love

From Paris, Onnys has a beauty that is awe inspiring. Of French and African (Senegalese/Beninese) heritage, Onnys was discovered on the streets of Paris and has walk the fashion runways of some of the biggest designers in the world.







 I was a big fan of Onnys' look and had been following him on social media for a long time. I took a meeting with his NY agent and set up a photo session with him. There were two things I noticed, one was that he had a great body and I felt my style of shooting complimented his body perfectly. The other thing I noticed was the fact that he had the same facial expression in every photo after i googled him. I knew I wanted to do killer body shots but I also wanted to do imagery that showed his personality because I couldn't find any photos of him smiling.



One of my strengths is shooting classic, clean, and timeless artistic nudes and body images. I worked really hard at shooting a style of images that feel like fashion. Models can always use a classy and  classic body image even when you don't have great clothes to work with. The morning of the shoot I received an email from his NY agent instructing me to do no nudes or body images. I was pissed that the things I do well was asked not to do. I didn't like that my creativity was restricted and limited to doing portraits. Not having access to great clothing makes creating cool fashion images extremely difficult. Its frustrating to constantly be expected to deliver awesome work that stands next to other photographers without having the same privileges and access. Its like being expected to win a race with my feet tied together. There is a negative stigma attached when a black photographer shoots body work. 

The advancement of  photographic technology has made being a photographer easy and has over flooded the industry with a bunch of GWC (goons with cameras). The agents no longer trust photographers artistic vision and attach limits to what they can do in order to protect the models from bad imagery that could damage their careers. 

I really wanted to work with Onnys, so I went through my closet and put some looks together. As usual, I made it work.

model: Onnys Aho - @onnys_aho
(Elite Paris - Independent Milan)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
styling: Tarrice Love

The agency gave him the wrong time and he was standing in the rain in front of my place when I arrived from #myclarkkent. Good thing it was light rain. I to a moment to dry off and collect myself. I immediately noticed he had a great smile and I knew that if nothing else we would get some great portraits.

Despite the creative limits, Onnys and I was able to great some really great images. They were classic, clean, and fashionable. He was great model to work with. Finally having him in front of my camera was a real joy. He has a great personality and I was able to capture that in my imagery with him. I really enjoyed my experience of working with him. I remember Onnys leaving the lab and I was wishing more models was like him.


model: Onnys Aho - @onnys_aho
(Elite Paris - Independent Milan)
ph. Tarrice Love - @bytarricelove
styling: Tarrice Love