Fake French

I just got back to the office after 2 days learning about ‘the future‘ here in NYC. I have written this up in a little more detail over on Mint’s blog and also put some photos on the Mint Flickr account. Unfortunately, the photos from the actual conference look whack cos the building was designed before they invented natural light and projectors.

It might also be worth keeping an eye on Keegan Jones‘ flickr account incase the laptop thief accidentally uploads some photos. Good luck hunting it down Keegan!

Because Tom would never sink so low as to promote his own band that has released a digital EP on Dan’s record label (Faux Discx). I guess that leaves me.

Check out a rather good review of Super Tennis debut EP on Drowned in Sound.

You can download the EP with DIY artwork here.

Tom - you can pay me later!

Since moving to London just over a year ago I have been fortunate to meet some bloody nice people. One of them being Pat Graham, a photographer who also run the 96 Gillespie gallery in Finsbury Park. Pat is a ‘graduate’ of the Positive Force house in Washington DC where he forged friendships and photographed people that have gone on to be in all the bands that you have ever loved, from Bikini Kill and Fugazi to Modest Mouse and Tortoise.

Bikini Kill

Fugazi

Pat recently released a book entitled ‘Silent Pictures‘, I strongly recommend you buy one, not only for all the amazing pictures, but you will look damn cool too!

Pat currently is on tour with Modest Mouse and keeping a photo blog of his adventures.

So i popped over the pond on sunday to do a little work in new york and be inspired by the wonderfully talented people speaking at the Future of Web Design.

I’m particularly looking forward to hearing what Ryan Simms (of Virb fame), Jeffrey Kalmikoff (of Skinny Corp and Threadless), Josh Williams (of Firewheel design), Ryan Singer (37 signals) and of course web design guru Jeffrey Zeldman have to say.

It will be fun times, i took a photo of a subway sign saying ‘ACE’ yesterday but alas, i forgot my camera lead so we’ll have to wait til i’m back in london for that visual treat.

Oh, and if anyone from New York happens to be reading this drop me a mail and we should go for a beer!

I’ve just been commissioned to do a bunch of work for Holy Roar Records, an ace independent label based in London. The first thing on my list was a digital download cover for Cutting Pink With Knives‘ new single ‘Laser Hannon’. Their new album Populuxxe is incredible, they’re a real mix-mash of influences and are creating stuff that sounds pretty unique to me, you should go check ‘em out!

The sleeve was mainly hand-drawn and coloured in Photoshop. I’m really in to my triangles at the moment. More stuff for Holy Roar in a similar style to come soon including a tape compilation and T-shirt design.

‘Laser Hannon’ video by D.A.R.Y.L:

Les Savy Fav rock my relatively small and unimportant world. They were kind enough to let me take pictures of them last week at the Old Blue Last and the Scala.

A photo of Tim ‘bear of a man’ Harrington at the Old Blue Last

The Scala show ended in pandemonium with most of the audience joining the band on stage for a little dance. See video below.

I love this band. so much.

Sorry I don’t mean to hog the blog but I am. People that know me, know that I like to talk…a lot.

The short list for the 2008 Deutsche Borse Photography Prize has been announced, but more relevant to this blog is that one of the judges this year is my old photography professor from Exeter, Jem Southam. Although this is kind of corny to say he really did influence the way I approach my photography, maybe not in style but definitely in perspective. He is a shy and modest person but was persuaded to give a talk on his life and photography to me and my classmates in my first year. He pretty much broke down when he was describing the time he won an award that enabled him to photograph for a living and support his family. It was very moving and had an effect on me, although I didn’t realise at the time.

An image from his most recent book ‘The Painter’s Pool’

I went to see the Ian Curtis/Joy Division film, Control last night.

Its amazingly shot by Anton Corbijn and makes me want to photograph in XP2 forever!

The imagery is heavily influenced by the pictures of Kevin Cummins. This is one of my favourite ‘band promo’ shots. I love the fact that the band are merely incidental within the picture.

Cummins has a limited edition new book - Juvenes out soon. If anyone has a spare £200 feel free to buy me a copy!

These are pretty much my favourite things in the world.

Here are some pictures to prove this.

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists playing in Rotterdam in June.

I was lucky enough to be able to go on tour with them through Europe. See more photographs from that adventure here

Non-Place - Finsbury Park

I am fascinated by these transient spaces. I hope to develop this into a project around London.

So, it’s taken us rather a long time to get our act together but we now finally have a new blog / site! Due to various time commitments we thought it would be best to base it heavily on a minimalist theme and build it up from here. So, welcome to the new era of Fake French, and more importantly the new addition of a certain mr Owen Richards.

Hooray!