X-SCREAM!

For the past two years I have had the privilege of photographing the X-Scream Halloween Show for the G-Star School of the Arts in West Palm Beach, even though no cameras are allowed. Last year the photos included my niece, Heaven, portraying one of the ZOMBIES who jump out from behind the school busses outside the show.



This year she has been working tirelessly behind the scenes with a crew of dedicated volunteers, helping the director, George Colavecchio, produce the most successful show in the event's history.

The 2009 show has broken all past records for box office, number of student volunteers and SCARINESS. The show was highly creative, based on six copyrighted themes developed by the students.

Seen on the website: http://www.xscreamhalloween.com/haunts.htm

On your way into the show Zombies were inescapable, coming at you from all directions.



But apparently they were told not to touch anyone, so no brains were eaten in the production of this show.



Dead people never looked so alive ...



... or threatening, especially carrying guns.



Mysterious dancers performed for us as we waited in line for the show.



We had a manic harlequin greeter. I had to remind myself that these were student actors with makeup by student volunteers. Brilliant.



Through a deep fog which occasionally lifted, we saw waifs lost in disturbed childhood....



or stuck in a no-exit hotel and up to no good....



or puppets made from human remains, following you from room to room.



The following video from the Travel Channel about my niece's extraordinary school will give you a brief tour through the 2008 event, one of the "13 Scariest Haunted Attractions in America".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82hKc_4iNsk

Tip for the day: Volunteering is a great basis for creative thinking.

Enjoy, Leora

All rights reserved © 2009 Leora Long

Man Power

I was gushing about Super Models in my August post. You didn't hear much about the guys. Now I want to call your attention to an indispensable element in the equation. I called it Man Power.

When I was starting out in fashion, Father's Day ads for my favorite retail client were a good opportunity for me to test out this concept. Ruth Brody at B. Altman and Company had a preference for “men with strong chins.” Lucky for me there were plenty of guys with Man Power when I needed it, right next to the Super Models at Fords, Willie’s, and Elite.

The ultimate “strong chin” was Wade Lewis, a model who was also a busy actor in community theatre. He could take on almost any role, from the guy next door ...



I actually had Burt Reynold's centerfold for Cosmo in mind in this shot of Wade for a New York Times ad ...



to a formidable Dracula for a designer promotion. Wade supplied his own costume, while our stylist Elise provided the lingerie.



Vampires don't wear the cape much anymore and I added some blood in post production. But, it is safe to say that they are here to stay, judging from the success of "Twilight" and "True Blood."

Guys ... and girls, Halloween is coming. Maybe you should get an early start on your costumes!

David Olander rocks in a 3-piece suit against mylar, an all weather solution for the studio. It's tricky to work with, but creates interesting reflections, adding depth and dimension with the play of light. David appeared so "in the moment," I could not quite put my finger on it, and then ...



... I could hear it in my head over and over again, “The name’s Bond, James Bond ... ”

After this epiphany anything goes, and Patrick Saint-Clair shows up, like he is standing in my kitchen with his morning coffee. I can dream!



I was shooting this ad with Patrick in the best Bert Stern and Avedon backlit tradition, using gobos to prevent flair. I like the ones that are black on one side and white on the other. It was noted that Sandy, my stylist, took extra pains to make this minimal outfit look good. We clearly both enjoyed basking in the glow of pure Man Power.

Eric Milano was everywhere in print, like a Super Model. And, you already know that French guy, Michel Castellano, whom I paired with Kim Alexis in my August post. It was a Father's Day shoot for B. Altman's in Central Park near the Bethesda Fountain.



Back to the park again for a designer shoot, we liked having a location bus standing by for wardrobe and refreshments. On this day we had Jay Hemphill with Cecilia Olsson, Nina Tremblay and Heidi in tow. Nina appeared with Jay in my July post.



Jay was the perfect Super Model accessory -- manly and sophistocated. He was playboy, aristocrat, sugar daddy, boy toy, companion -- whatever it took. I like that he seems aloof, but maybe he was still thinking about his motor cycle being stolen off the streets of NYC.

Randy French took everything in his stride and did very well in men's fashion. The way it went down I suspect he was in New York primarily for moral support for his sister Lucinda, an aspiring model.



But when she found her niche working in Europe, Randy found his way back to his real estate business in Florida, shedding the mantle of protective brother. Our loss.

It was more than “a day at the beach” when Bill and I took Darlene and Kirsten to Robert Moses State Park with Jeffrey Calenberg to test for a swimwear account. Jeff added sport and competition to the scenario.



He definitely brought the Man Power quotient to the party. The sun is still a little high, so we'll just warmed up with the ball for a while ... and I shoot Jeff one-on-one with Darlene.



So, what happens at Robert Moses stays at Robert Moses, unless it ends up on my blog.



Bill shoots Jeff one-on-one with Kirsten, as the sun gets lower. Magic light starts when the models don't have to squint anymore. Too bad it doesn't last longer.



This was a great lesson in synergy with Super Models + Man Power. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. A good time was had by all.

Check out my slide show on photo.net:
http://photo.net/photos/Leora

... and check out Bill's while you are at it:
http://photo.net/photos/BillLong

Tip for the day: You don't have to be a Super Model to stay fit, just some daily exercise -- even if it's squats and push ups at your kitchen sink, plenty of water, small meals and some yogurt added to your diet.

Have a good one!

Leora

All rights reserved © 2009 Leora Long and © 2009 Bill Long

Remember The Towers

Today we were following the replay of September 11 with Katie Couric on MSNBC. It is time to remember the dear souls who perished and their bereaved families. And I also believe that we need to remember the Towers and what they meant to us up until that day. Bill and I always had a special connection to them as photographers.

Driving by the World Trade Center one evening at sunset, Bill made a quick exit from the car with his camera and strobe. He came back 15 minutes later after taking this



stunning shot, looking up from the Plaza. It reminds us of how the Trade Towers might have looked on September 10, when the world seemed a much simpler and safer place.



What a view we had from the Towers. Bill shot this at a slow shutter speed toward the New Jersey sunset. I was just fine sitting calmly by the window. But if I stood up and looked down it was VERTIGO .... we were on the 107th floor!



Standing on the roof deck of the South Tower was always a thrill. Now, looking at Bill's video of a sunset or his photos of a distant horizon at twilight brings back the experiences intensely, especially this view north to the George Washington Bridge.



We loved viewing the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges from above and seeing Coney Island and beyond, laid out to the east. Click on the website below for more about the Observation Decks. The page was taken down after 9-11 and brought back by popular demand. Some people still need to know what it was like before the disaster.

http://www.fieldtrip.com/ny/24357379.htm

This view to the Towers from Staten Island during Fleet Week in 1986 became a challenge to me. My shot evolved into a “what if” project.



I started to "work" the natural highlight in the sky to create a protective bubble for the Towers. Wishful thinking, of course.



Bill caught the New York skyline from Hoboken with the after glow of the sunset. On another day we went back early to get the sunrise.



The Trade Towers were great beacons of our freedom and I hope that remembering them will keep alive the joys we felt pre-9/11. Now the Towers are permanently part of a cautionary tale. The message is, "Be prepared, so this never happens again."

This evening we watched with interest the History Channel's story about Rick Rescoria, Security Chief of Morgan Stanley at the South Tower. He is the hero who heeded the danger present after the bomb attack of 1993 below the North Tower. "The Man who Predicted 9/11," describes how this platoon leader and Colonel from the Vietnam War diligently prepared the employees for the inevitable with evacuation drills up until 9/11. Then, on this fateful day eight years ago he shepherded close to 3,000 to safety from over 20 company floors. He went back upstairs, only to perish with the six or seven individuals from his group who could not make it down.

I highly recommend the program, described in the synopsis below:
www.history.com/shows.do?action=detail&episodeId=481958

Tips of the day: Remembering is a gain. Forgetting is a loss.

Be hopeful, Leora

All rights reserved © 2009 Leora Long and © 2009 Bill Long

Super Models

I know a Super Model when I see one. A young Christie Brinkley came bouncing into my studio for her shoot for Frances Denney products. I had seen her on some Glamour covers and I thought she would be perfect for my New York retail client. I was intrigued by the reaction of the studio crew, wanting to know "Who was that?" And when the full page ad ran in the NY Times there was more commotion from photographers calling to find out who she was. She went from ingenue to femme fatale in one day and the client was telling everyone to “call the photographer.” She was on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue in 1979, 1980 and 1981. To read about her astounding longevity in the business you have only to go to Wikipedia.

And see what a busy girl she is now in this interview with charming photos: www.hamptons-magazine.com/HAM_v31I14_082_COVERSTAR.html

Back in the 70’s when I was starting out I was fortunate to have a perfect platform for my work. I was doing full page ads for the NY Times for retail giant, B. Altman & Company. Ruth Brody was the merchandise manager and guiding light of the art department. She could not always come to shoots, so I could interpret the ads any way I liked. And she wanted me to use the best models available, kind of her insurance policy. So, I did not cut corners and chose budding Super Models from Fords, Wilhelmina and Elite Models.



I had a shoot with Patti Hansen, when she was first enthralled with Keith Richards, and she also happened to be doing a movie with a friend of mine, Lisa Dunsheath. It was “They all Laughed” by Peter Bogdonivich. Lisa was the roller blade girl and Patti played the cab driver.



Patti was launched as a Super Model by a traffic-stopping billboard ad in Times Square for Calvin Klein Jeans. She was on her hands and knees featuring, among other things, her great hair. I was happy how she projected in my fragrance ad for designer Oscar de la Renta. This "girl next door” was just as comfy in couture as she was in her "Calvies".

Check out the People article which described her rise to fame: www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20075859,00.html

And see her on My Space: www.myspace.com/keithrichardsforever1983

Kim Alexis came to the studio on a "go see" for a Swimwear trip to Paradise Island. She was wearing baggie silver-metallic sweat pants and it was not immediately evident that she would become a Super Model. The future Sports Illustrated Swimwear girl, who would one day have 6 SI issues to her credit, was too shy to try on swimwear.



When she came back from working in Europe, she had totally blossomed. I paired her with Michel Castellano for a Geoffrey Beene ad for the fragrance "Red" and she pulled out all the stops. Bingo, the Super Model radar went off.



Maybe it was Michel’s charm and joie de vivre. He was also the founder of Castellano's, a restaurant that is both friendly and French, still thriving on 55th Street.



When I asked Michel “What's a quick way to learn French,” his answer was, “Get a French lover.” We all laughed.

Find Kim at: www.kimalexis.com/

Super Model Clotilde, a favorite of designers and under contract to Ralph Lauren for several years, had a "look." I never saw her smile. But she could "say it" with her eyes. And she gave us a quick assessment of this Nina Ricci dress, that she wore for the designer’s fragrance ad.



“No wonder it is so expensive” she said. She noted how strategically the peek-a-boo lace flower had been placed on the bodice. Beside her wit and sophistication, she is known for her role in Eddie Murphy’s “Trading Places” as Dan Acyroyd’s waspy fiancé.

Now she is just an old fashioned girl who likes to sometimes put on a dress ... from her own collection in her shop in Larchmont:
www.larchmontgazette.com/2007/articles/20070524clotilde.html

Along came Cathy Belanger for a Tabu perfume ad shoot -- all decked out with no place to go.



We needed to add some mystery. How about a reaction to the name of the perfume, we thought. TAB-UUUUU. She did ohhhh and uuuuu and ahhhh to add some drama to the scene. The client furnished a clever story to go with the photo for the full page ad.



She was apparently a big hit with other photographers who saw the ad, because we started seeing Kathy all over the magazines using the "uuuuu" word.

Margaret Donohue made an imprompu visit to the studio on a Friday afternoon, as models often did -- but, with a Magnum of Dom Perignon.



She said she wanted to thank me because famed designer, Halston, noticed her in my NY Times ad for Lancome skincare products and swept her away for a round-the-world tour for his design collection. I was touched by the good news and her kind gesture.

Later I found her featured in Helmut Newton's Chanel photos in his book “Gun for Hire” in stunning mirror-image photos. There's that six degrees of separation thing again, that I mentioned in July. Maybe we both liked to think of Margaret as "the mirror girl.”

One thing I learned from working with Super Models is that they can surprise you and make your life a lot easier.

Thank you, Ruth Brody, for all that freedom to be myself on the pages of the Times and the New Yorker.

Find more tasty bits about Super Model history and “The Model as Muse” at fashionologie (navigate by clicking on highlighted areas): http://fashionologie.com/search/Models+get+their+due

And check out the priceless book I am reading right now by Michael Gross, "MODEL, The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women". It goes back to the first catwalk in 1914 and tells why Cindy Crawford is such a good business woman.

You can see more photos of Christie, Patti, Kim and Clotilde from the collections at: http://supermodelsofthe70s-80s.org/ You will recognize the Calvin Klein image photographed by Charles Tracy from Patti's famous billboard. She is on all fours!

Drop by my gallery slideshow at: www.photo.net/photos/Leora

Tip for the day: You may not be a Super Model, but you can be super at something.

See you later, my friends,

Leora

My photos © 2009 Leora Long

My Beginnings

Today's the day I promised myself I would launch my photography blog. Well, my friends, here it is. So, why not start at the beginning. Click on the photos to see them larger or change your screen to 150% for the best viewing.

My passion for photography started when I began running around the "mean streets" of New York, armed with my Nikons and Tri-X film. I would go back to the darkroom, get a first look at my negatives, and make some very large prints. After spending some time as a studio manager, I was finally getting to do my own thing.

I was inspired by the BW images of Andre Kertesz, Helmut Newton and Patrick Demarchelier, with their dramatic and sometimes challenging content. Go ahead and click on the following links. Be forewarned that some may include nudity.

Kertesz: http://www.skjstudio.com/kertesz/index.html



Helmut:http://www.ocaiw.com/galleria_maestri/gallery.php?id=154&catalog=foto&lang=en It is almost impossible to find a Newton site without nudity.



Patrick: http://www.artandcommerce.com/AAC/C.aspx?VP=SlideShow_VPage&IAPA=1&STY=A&L4=2U1XC5NUJIMW&L5=2U1XC5NUJ9G7&L6=2U1XC5NUJ3U2&XX=Artists



Soon, I had a BW portfolio together and here is a selection of my favorites:

I had a close encounter with the New York Dolls at the San Gennaro Festival,



where there were kids games ...



and a circle of protection -- for a child yearning for some ice cream.



Then there was that memorable visit to the Sixth Avenue Flea Market ...



when the light was just right,



a great place to look for treasures,



both on the table ...



... and underneath.



Moving uptown, at Tudor City I found two little yentas chatting it up in the 'hood ...



and musicians and dancers improvising before a rapt audience in Central Park.



After school there were troops gathering at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial at Riverside Drive and 89th Street.



Camera in hand, who knew I would win something at my first trip to Yonkers Raceway?



A run to Park Avenue with Susan, an aspiring model, got us both moving.



These are a few of the photos that started me on my own as a fashion and still life photographer. I got busy shooting guys and gals from Fords, Wilhelmina and Elite at my New York studio and on location, for retail ads in The New York Times, the New Yorker, Women's Wear Daily and leading fashion magazines.

While I am a bit of a perfectionist, I like the freedom of reportage with the element of chance. I also like to explore the drama or emotion in a situation and I welcome unexpected consequences.
Here I projected my feelings about couture through Patti Hansen, "the girl next door" looking sultry in Oscar de la Renta.



I found the perfect moment for Yasmine and Jim for a fragrance ad, but it was not as easy as it looks. They could not look into each other's eyes without cracking up. The perfume bottles for MY de myrurgia were paired, "for the couple who live in complete harmony."



Nina Tremblay and Jay Hemphill were really workin' it in Central Park for a designer promotion. Andiamo!



This photo of Allison Ubaldi in a velvet mood for a holiday ad provoked a spontaneous response from my client. She had not been at the shoot, so I felt good when she said, "That's exactly what I saw in my head."



Karen Bjornsen radiates attitude for Borghese "Simply Clean" products.



Using my Hasselblad with Plus-X on Karen's shot really helped showcase her "perfect" skin for a full page ad in the New York Times. One of my favorites.

Just to show what a small world it is in New York City, one day I was shooting for Avon Family Fashions with my crew in Central Park and Patti Hansen wandered over to say "Hi". She was on a break from shooting nearby with Patrick Demarchelier and he gave us a friendly wave, when he needed her back. Another fun coincidence, Patti has also posed with Helmut Newton, on the pages of Vogue. Maybe it is true about "6 degrees of separation".

You can see more of my photos on my gallery slideshow at http://photo.net/photos/Leora

Karen and Patti both have more photos assembled on a
new Super Model site at http://www.supermodelsofthe70s-80s.org/

Tip of the day: Find your passion and get jiggie with it.

See you in August, my friends,

Leora

All my images © 2009 Leora Long