A few shots from my time with model Sarah Bella sporting Pepsi attire
Sarah brought the A game and really crushed the retro Pepsi vibe.
Sarah’s makeup was done by the talented Sommer Anzaldo.
Till next time,
-Oliver Endahl
If the internet was different
If Instagram and TikTok didn’t exist, would people still “create”?
Whether people want to admit or not, the thought that nearly everyone has kept in the back of their mind while on a photoshoot for the last 15 years is “Will this do well on social media?”
If you’re a model, photographer, dancer, actor, baker, etc.. Would you still create if you couldn’t post it to a social network? I’ve met many people who were only at the photoshoot to produce “content” for Instagram. And I gotta be honest, that sucks. Cause really that means the thing they’re actually into, isn’t the process of creating art, playing or experimenting. That means the thing they’re actually into is getting validation & gaining social notoriety through posting on the internet.
Here’s another version of the question: What videos would people create and post if you couldn’t follow or like any of the posts?
What if TikTok/Instagram/YouTube didn’t exist, and the only way people could watch a video on the internet would be to have a direct link to an actual website, where the video file was hosted, and that’s it. You couldn’t follow the person who created the video, and you couldn’t like the video. You could only watch it thru a direct link on a website.
How many of the videos that you see on TikTok would still be posted if you couldn’t follow the creators or like the video? I would think, not very many.
And that’s the problem. Whether people are putting out comedy videos, lifestyle content, political videos, outrage at whatever is in the current news cycle that day, etc.. All of these people aren’t actually creating for the sake of spreading the word about their topic, they’re creating to have people hit follow and hit like.
Keep that in mind next time you’re watching a short form video. Ask yourself: “Would they still make and post this video if no one could follow them or like the video?”
Till next time,
-Oliver Endahl
Kitty Cam Time in Downtown LA
Kitty Cam Time is a model and adult film star. She and I created these various stills at 2 different photo studios in the downtown Los Angeles area.
Kitty Cam has a great sense of style and brought a bunch of fun outfits and wigs with her. For this fit below, we channeled Harley Quinn and Alicia Silverstone from Clueless.
Shooting with Kitty Cam is a blast. She always knows how to work various expressions and emotions that light up the camera.
You can find her work on the internet by typing her stage name into google, and you can follow her on IG here.
-Oliver
Ariana Emnace in SoCal
Ariana Emnace is a dancer and model. We’ve been shooting for nearly a decade, and it’s always a blast.
For these photos, Ariana and I created at Santa Monica Beach, a photo studio that had built a set resembling the inside of a private jet, a white cyc-wall, and also an indoor photoshoot pool.
Loved the golden light we got here and how it backlit her hair.
Love the ethereal nature of these ones with her in the dress in the water.
Ariana is captivating to photograph. She always brings a unique and intriguing energy to the photos.
You can follow Ariana on Instagram here, and keep an eye on this website for more photos from our shoots.
-Oliver
Is it punk?
I’ve really come to enjoy the word “Punk”.
It turns out, I think a lot of the best art made is actually punk. (And by punk, I mean counter culture) Something that pushes back, holds the mirror up, and is a bit radical. If you think about the great artists we celebrate, often times, their work expressed a pushback on society in one way or another. You can see this throughout history with famous artists like Frida Kahlo, Andy Warhol, Elvis Presley, Keith Haring, The Beatles, Britney Spears, the list goes on and on.
I think one of the reasons for this, is because punk art often says something and has a unique viewpoint that makes us question ourselves, our values and our lives and pushes them further. Often times, you’ll see art made by the ultra wealthy (like some music artists on the biggest record labels) is not punk at all. It’s extremely consumable and intentionally unoffensive in every possible way. Because the goal of the folks creating this art, isn’t to say something, it’s actually the opposite. They don’t want to say anything. Cause when you don’t say anything, no one can get mad, no one can make fun of you, no one can complain, and if no one has a problem with it, then it’s consumable by the largest amount of people and therefor it can make the most money. There is no risk because the work is intentionally risk averse.
Something you’ll see on this publication is photoshoots and projects with people of all socio-economic statuses & all levels of fame. Some total unknowns & some extremely well knowns. Isn’t that punk? All levels of status, all levels of wealth & all levels of fame.
Seems like everyday the culture of our capitalist paradigm wants more & more for our statuses to be separate. I’ve attended many functions and events for the wealthy (Regardless of the genre. It could be fashion, dance, art, film, music, photography, etc..) Really the thing a lot of these events and the people who attend them have in common is just wealth. If you’re wealthy, you’re in the club. If you aren’t, then you’re an outsider. (Basically the plot of Gossip Girl) Xoxo
Something to keep an eye out as you consume art. Whether it be music, films, television, people’s fashion, photography, etc.. Is to ask yourself “Is it punk?”
Till next time,
Xoxo
-Oliver
Sydney Tyra in Los Angeles
Model and dancer Sydney Tyra & I have shot a few times at different studios in the LA area.
For these photos we utilized a warehouse, a brightly colored pop art-esq room, and also the indoor pool that a studio had available to rent.
Shooting in this pop art room was fun. Ya’ll know I love color, and this room had a lot of it.
We finished up with this pool photo studio room featured below. (Which is a pool that has a glass cutout that the photographer can shoot through.) I’ve posted a behind the scenes video of this location on my social media for those curious.
Shooting with Sydney Tyra is always a blast. She has a charisma that engulfs the camera and creates a vibrancy within the photos. And while most models/people want to create work that’s already been done before, Sydney isn’t afraid to take risks and create new aesthetics.
Till next time,
-Oliver