PAUL SMITH AND RAPHA SS11

Paul Smith, as the legend goes, was planning to be a professional cyclist when he had an awful accident. Soon after he starting hanging out with a bunch of hip artists and musicians where he met his wife Pauline, a designer. Eventually Pauline stopped and Paul took over (no, their names are not a joke). His company became hugely popular and successful and so it makes perfect sense that the bike-mad designer eventually tried his hand at designing bike-wear. 

It turns out there is a whole race of people obsessed with cycling. As we Cape Town locals know. Rapha are performance road-wear specialists and recently joined Paul Smith in collaborating some designer cycling duds. I previously showed you the video, and to accompany it here is a series of photographs for their SS11 campaign.

But do take a look at the video below which I stumbled upon this morning. Thoroughly interesting to see the man himself talking about his cycling past and how modern cyclists are not as "stratospheric" as other sports stars. For their clothing go to Rapha's webiste to see the collection.

RALPH LAUREN S/S 11 FEATURING OLLIE EDWARDS

Featuring Ollie Edwards for the S/S 2011 collection for Ralph Lauren.

I have always loved Ralph Lauren campaigns. While the styling is obviously modern it's the grainy photography that reminds me so much of 1980s fashion that I miss. Plus his suiting has always had a very specific aesthetic often adding pinstripes and a double-breast that belongs somewhere between Wall street and American Psycho. Even his model looks a little removed and unreachable.

The World's Most Elusive Primates - 13 Photos

This post is taken from Time news. Here we collect The World's Most Elusive Primates and these photos taken by Anup Shah and Fiona Rogers capture the charisma of man's evolutionary cousins. Both are excellent Photographers.Click on read more option to see more photos........

Gelada Baboons

In order to photograph the world's most fascinating primates in the wild, photographers Fiona Rogers and Anup Shah have traveled the world. In Ethiopia's high plateaus, they photographed this pair of gelada baboons who have drawn close to each other for warmth.

Crab-Eating Macaque

This primate lives in Borneo in Malaysia. His yawn is a warning to aggressors.

Verreaux's Sifaka

This member of the lemur family reaches for a tree stem in Madagascar.

source: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2044442,00.html

TYSON BALLOU FOR GQ JAPAN JANUARY 2011

I absolutely love photography. I couldn't count the times I've opened a blog post like that but it's true. I keep folders filled with imagery just to glance at from time to time to inspire me. While we expect images to sell us fashion it sometimes comes with the added bonus of just being beautiful to look at it. As is the case with Tyson Ballou and these lovely images of him in the woods. Photographed for GQ Japan by Alexi Lubomirski. Manly, isolated and filled with the warm knits and thermals we often find ourselves in during the Winter season. Enjoy the escape.













images from thefashionisto.com

Inside an American Militia Photos by Ty Cacek

The photos with the name of "Inside an American Militia" captured by Ty Cacek Photographer who joins the Ohio Defense Force during a grueling weekend training exercise. You can see here more beautiful photos.

1. Camouflaged and Silent

The Ohio Defense Force is a private militia claiming 300 active members. On the weekend of August 21, they engaged in a training skirmish with other units in Roseville, Ohio.......

2. Muster

The militia trains for ambushes, sniper missions, close-quarter battle and other types of military engagements. On the weekend when photographer Ty Cacek took these photos, the ODF's mission was to destroy "a terrorist command post." An abandoned prison stood in for the object of their attack.

3. Portraits:

Militiaman Frank Delollis, left, and 1st Sgt. Tom Gheen are both ODF members.

4. Preparation:

Each member brings his or her own weapons. During the drill, they shoot blanks.

5. Camo:

The ODF stresses that they are not engaged in a re-enactment or game; they are drilling for scenarios that they feel could be real one day.

6. At Attention:

The drill scenario for the August exercise went as follows: "The year is 2014, and a new breed of neo-Islamic terrorism is rampant in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio...The current White House Administration is pro-Muslim and has ordered a stand-down against Islamic groups." The goal is to destroy the enemy command post, or die trying.

7. Motorized:

The fighters must go in "sterile" � without name tags or identifying insignia � as a deniable covert force. "Anyone who is caught or captured cannot expect extraction," the briefing officer said.

8. Dismount:

The ODF members exit the transport.

9. Recon:

A patrol party searches the property.

10. Coordinates:

ODF Officers and senior members examine a property map and discuss their plan.

11. His and Hers:

This woman is the wife of one of the male ODF members.

12. Portraits:

Private E2 Doug, left, chose not to give his last name; Militiaman C.J. McIntosh, right, poses inside the prison target.

13. Sentry:

Lt. Jeremy Fister rests while guarding a second-story window from enemy contact.

14. Checkpoint:

Two militia members take a smoke break while guarding the rear of the prison.

15. Flag:

Many members of the ODF say that they are not a hate group. Their charter asserts that their mission is: to help state and local law enforcement agencies on request � during a flood six years ago they helped direct traffic, giving local sheriff's officers the freedom to respond to more pressing tasks � and "to assist in the protection of local citizens in emergencies."

Via Time

Clever alternative to the "Underwear Shoot" featuring model Andrei Beliakov.

Heads Up!

Richard Keppel Smith is a photographer and lighting director based in Cape Town. Currently showing his exhibition at Wembley Square which includes pieces from local designer Stiaan Louw.

You can catch the rest of his work online here as well as a very interesting online installation called 'Big Bang Love' Just a warning you might want to start off with a lower volume.

Photography spotlight: Patrick Hoelck

I came about the first image the way I generally do. I browse casually until something stops me dead in my tracks and thus I investigate. The first image is beautiful, almost biblical-- but that can be said of any man with a long bristly beard carrying a lamb. Yet the photography of Patrick Hoelck seems to offer more than just a two-dimensional image. And I find myself writing stories for the mili-second in-which the photograph was taken. And I do believe that makes a good photographer. The model, or anti-model as he's more commonly known is Tony Ward and his catalog is worth taking a look at too.


He is quite well known actually. And has many a celebrity name to under his belt, having photographed C.D covers for Maroon 5, Ciara and many more. His Polaroids are poetic and somewhat chilling. The image on the left speaks to me but the model is a little frightening- his face is not very open or honest but yet it's still beautifully shot. The image on the right is of Alicia Keys.







You can find more on Hoelck online at his official site including the long list of artists and celebrities he has frozen in time, I especially liked the portraits of Zach Braff and Dita von Teese. Go have a look!

Photo of the day

L’Officiel Hommes #18