Surface magazine’s Annual Avant Guardian Project

FINE ART :: ENTRY #474


model: Gene Grady - unsigned

Celebrating its 12th year, Surface magazine’s Annual Avant Guardian Project is a nationwide search to uncover the best new fashion photographers in North America, work that demonstrates both distinctive artistic vision and cutting-edge commercial potential. After George Brown, one of the bookers at Red Models NYC sent me an email suggesting I enter the competition and that the deadline was near, i decided to enter the competition. I submited under the fine arts category mainely because of my limited access to fashion. I wanted to focus on the artistic aspects of my work. I did conceptual images that made a staement about my struggle to be part of this industry and my fight maintain my artistic integrity. I think the images vividly capture my struggle and emotion through the tones of the unusual color pallet and my signature use of lighting and composition. The images feature unsigned models Gene Grady from Philly, Jared Cameron and Mike Mizzle of NY, and Specimen/ Ford model Kyle Saunders.

Gene road the bus from Philly and spent the night at my apartment so we could get an early start on the photoshoot. In the middle of shooting the paint images with Gene, I got a ERR 99 in my Canon Rebel. I followed the instructions on the camera but no luck... it was broken. On top of everything I carelessly deleted the images i had shot.

I had to run out and buy a new camera. Gene washed the paint off and we took the subway to Adorama. We returned, re applied the paint and re- shot everything. My Granny always say " things happen for a reason." I spent almost a week doing the editing on the images. All in all, I think the pictures turned out amazing and combined with the images of Jared, Mike and Kyle, I think my submission vividly represents my style of shooting.

Go to AVANT GUARDIAN PROJECT to see my submission and click on the stars to vote for me.