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small photo- christopher auger-dominguez

One of Small's favorite photographers, Christopher Auger Dominguez just won first prize for this portrait of twin actresses from his series on child stars. Check out his super hero shoot for Small here

hello again

happy halloween!

Have some super-hero fun!

suit by Wovenplay cuff and mask by Little Hero Capes

Photo for Small Magazine by Christopher Auger-Dominguez

small photo- little dolls

From the series Little Dolls by Alain Delorme

 

 

small photography- from the air

Between JFK and San Francisco -Paul Octavious via the very cool (and informative) travel phtography blog - Skip Town

small film- public schools in America

a sad documentary with ideas about the possibility and potential for reform in American public schools - Waiting for Superman

Photos by Allison V Smith - from her Schools series

happy fourth

Dream Street 1955

photo by W. Eugene Smith,  from the exhibition American Dreams

small photo shoots- inspiration board

This Norman Parkinson Photo (found on the Land Ho tumblr) is on our inspiration board for the next issue. Grant Cornett is shooting another still life for us- this time outside in upstate New York (where he is an artist in residence at the wonderful Wassaic Project.)

small finds- my little day

My Little Day - the French party site- has just teamed up with Milk to produce a photo shoot of their perfect garden party. So sweet.

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bed jumping

Julia Fullerton-Batten In Between

small art and inspiration

I love this little story. I think it illustrates why we love making this magazine.

Anne Siems (who we invited to make the illustrated fashion story for issue 17) has just sent us this amazing painting she has made, inspired by the photo story in this issue of Small.-The shoot is Wilderness Queens- photographed by our photo editor Steve Visneau and styled by Christine.

The image from Wilderness Queens

Anne Siems' story in issue 16 of Small....it just occurred to me....maybe the little Bunny with the deer antlers was the subliminal inspiration for the Wilderness Queen antlers.  Also, maybe the earthy colors of Anne's paintings inspired the props by Sarah Tippetts.

Small photo- motherhood project

Happy Mothers day!

If you are in NewYork you can celebrate by booking a photo shoot with Davina Zagury at Pomme. You might have seen her other photo projects featured here as we love her work. For the special price of $250, you will receive: 30 min. photo session, Image editing, a credit of $100 towards prints, on-line images.
You will also have the opportunity to order extra prints and high res images on a CD for an additional cost.

Details
Date & hours: May 7th & 8th between 10:00am - 6:00pm
Place: Pomme 81 Washington St, at York. DUMBO, in Brooklyn
RSVP: http://davinaz.brownbookit.com/schedules

small interview- lorna freytag

We featured Lorna Freytag in the last issue of Small (in our ongoing small photo project which looks at how different photographers interpret being small). We were intrigued by her image and wanted to find out more vbaout her work. Thanks for talking to us Lorna

Can you tell us a bit about your background? Have you always been interested in childhood as a theme in your work?  

I studied Visual Communication at Grays School of Art in Aberdeen, Scotland which is where my love of photography really started.

I met my husband whilst studying there and after graduating he was offered a  job in Dubai so I followed. I worked as a photo assistant for two British advertising photographers out there for a couple of years which was an amazing experience. I learned everything i needed to know! Then my husband got an opportunity in New York so again I followed and worked for a year as an assistant for a great fashion and still life photographer. Another amazing experience! Sydney happened the same way but by then I started trying to find my own style, coming up with childrens story ideas and working on my portfolio. Four years later we moved back to the UK and found ourselves in London. I got myself an agent and started working on editorial commissions and my folio got bigger and better from then on. I've now worked with most of the kids fashion magazines including Junior and Collezioni Bambini and have done some great projects for Harrods kidswear and other childrens fashion boutiques.

 

I find that you can be more free with your ideas for kids pictures- the sky is the limit and you can really let your imagination go wild. I enjoy working with kids too as you're never certain as to how they will act and that's a breath of fresh air for me as i'm quite a control freak. You just need a lot of patience and a good sense of humour! I like to make the kids look quite independent and mature in my images  like they're on their own and can manage perfectly well. I'm a fan of old classical "Victorian" pictures with strong poses, controlled expressions and muted colours. 

What inspired your most recent series? 

My trip to Tasmania was my starting point for the Feral series. The amazing landscapes which are still so wild and untamed. It's actually very similar to Scotland but has more of a "wildness" about it.  Nature inspires most of my work- sun dappled woods, dark forests, dramatic skies.....

Then I spend a while day-dreaming and conjuring up ideas and sketches before working out the shoots. I have sketchbooks filled with ideas!

What is the process behind creating your images?

The process for all my shoots is very similar. Working from my scribbled sketches I shoot all the background elements (eg. landscapes, props, skies etc)  and usually do rough layered mock-ups so that i can visualise how and where i want the children to be. Then i spend a day or more with the kids and shoot them against a white background in the studio. After editing i begin my retouching and that's when the images start to come alive. 

 

The children you depict are very different from the technologically savvy well dressed kids we all know. Your last series about an imaginary tribe of feral children in Tasmania seems to comment on children's diminishing independence over the last few decades. Do you think some independence and danger might be positive dimension in childhood?

Compared to children nowadays I feel that I had a lot of freedom as a kid and my parents generation probably had even more free rein. I think it's an important part of growing up, becoming independent and finding out your limits. There are risks and dangers all through life and if you start to manage and overcome small dangers when you're younger i think you're better equipped to deal with real life!! There's no fun in playing it safe all the time!!

There are quite a few photographers who use children as models and show a side of childhood that adults might be less comfortable with than a more sanitised disney depiction. (for example Polixeni Papapetrou, Sally Mann and Bill Henson) Do you identify with their work? Do you have any  experience with the kind of criticism they have attracted? 

I love all their work and I can see how some of their images can be uncomfortable and at times controversial but so far I've never experienced any criticism on my themes. Most of my work is dreamy and "nice" so it was a refreshing change to work on something slightly darker and depicting a bit more danger with the Feral series.

Photographers, maybe more than other artists, often have a conflict or tension between their commercial and creative work. Can you survive off your creative work or do you need to use your artform more comerically to make a living? 

I would love to be able to survive off my creative work but unfortunately it just isn't possible. I do enjoy most of the commercial and editorial work I do though and it's always nice to try and work my style into someone elses concept. I also do private portrait commissions of children (Lorna's Portraits) and can create bespoke images for people depending on their childs personality, hobbies etc

Also my first childrens picture book for Walker Books (in collaboration with author Jeanne Willis) will be out in January 2012 which i'm really excited about.  It's called "Wild Child" but it's very different to the wild kids in the feral series.

What direction are you going with your work? 

Working on a childrens book was a dream come true for me so i'd love to do another one. I'm developing some ideas at the moment......

I also have another series in the pipeline with a more technological, futuristic theme which i hope to work on before my first baby is due in October!

See all of Lorna Freytag's lovely works here: art work and portraits

small photo- still lives

We are getting into still life photography and have commissioned shoots for the next two issues. We just got in the first by Grant Cornett (check out his still life work here), which you will be able to see in the next issue (out soon!).  Scheltens and Abbenes have some wonderful and inspiring still life photography (and textile art by Abbenes) on their site.

Small photo- siblings five

Next weekend Davina Zagury is doing her fifth instalment of the Sibling Project at the lovely Pomme store. We have loved her work since we first saw it and asked her to be in the third issue of Small. To secure a portrait slot at Pomme in Dumbo log on here and make a booking. In order to secure your session, a non refundable $30 deposit is required ($10 will be deducted from your print order). Fee includes: a 10 to 15 minute session, image editing, online gallery, $10 credit toward prints, participation in the exhibit. Prints will be available for order after the exhibit opening.

Pomme: 81 Washington St at York
DUMBO, in Brooklyn

small photography- Camille Levert

Camille is a French photographer who aims to capture the real/dream world of play

from her site: "It is said that children do not distinguish between living and inanimate objects; I believe they do. A child imparts a doll or tin soldier with magical life-breath. The artists animates his work as the child his toys." (Patti Smith Just Kids,  2010)

etsy shop

small report- more clothes!

yeah... the clothes are great (although not 'small' scale or independent at all so we won't talk too much about them) but the main reason I am writing about it is beacuse I love the way her website works. It is worth going to check it out just for the neat trick when you scroll over each child- simple, playful and very effective.

 

small magazine- behind the scenes

Some outtakes from the shoot we did in a black and white photo booth in a mall over the weekend. The shoot was inspired by Andy Warhols snapshots of the factory girls, like Edie Sedgwick, taken in photo booths.The girls in our story are best friends and had so much fun jumping in and out of the booth. They self directed the whole thing.

If you are into the photography and art made in photo booths here is a great website that documents just about everything that has ever gone on in one and even where you can find an old machine near you.

small photo- stomping ground studio days

The fabulously talented husband and wife, Kelsey and Dennis of Stomping Ground, are offering two more open studios this Fall. If you missed their spring one, here is your second chance to get high quality and very reasonably priced photos of you and your family. 

Kelsey and Dennis put together the magic shoot in the last issue of Small. The story was inspired by their experience of hiring Mario the Magician for their daughter’s 5th birthday party.  Mario is a master performer for children, and the photo shoot was as fun as the original party.

You can get more information about how to sign up here. The first session is this weekend so sign up quick!

small inspiration 72

  

Photos by Mark Steinmetz

small photo- lookbooks

We receive many lookbooks here at Small which we look through to see the new collections when we are trying to put together outfits for our shoots. Some of the books are so beautiful and so eye catching that we wanted to show them to you. Here are a few of our recent favorites.

 

IKKS

LuckyBoySunday

Buisjes en Beugels

Hucklebones

Dandy Starr

Les Zigous  a small snow hand made collection (bottom left)

Ada Ada Ricky's gang search for the horizon

Small photo- newborn project

The talented photographer, Davina Zagury is starting a new series of portraits of newborns. (We have written about her previous projects of siblings and the kids with their doudous).  She is looking for 1-3 months old babies to have their portrait taken. For 220$ you can schedule a
• 30 min. photo session 

• (x2) 8”x10” and (x2) 5”x7” custom prints 

• A CD with all edited pictures (email compatible) 

• On-line images, so easily can be shared with friends and family. 

Date & hours: July 24th & 25th between 10:00am - 5:00pm

 

Place: Pomme 81 Washington St, at York. DUMBO, in Brooklyn

.

rsvp to davinaz.brownbookit.com/schedules
For additional questions:email: davinaz[at]davinaz.com phone: 914 671 3735

small inspiration 63

Chloe Aftel (for Small Magazine) featuring a bespoke accessory by Machen

Pamela Klaffke from the bestia parvulus series

Small magazine- location scouting in Copenhagen

We are planning ahead and starting to organize a shoot for the winter issue in Copenhagen. Monika Elena recently sent us these location shots and is going to photograph the story. If you are a Scandinavian designer and would like to be featured in this shoot we would love to hear from you. Send us a link to editor(at)smallmagazine.net.

small inspiration 59

Isadora Duncan by Arnold Genthe

Ellen Rogers

Small inspiration 58

Marek Gardulski

Abelardo Morell

Small photo- Siblings Project Photos!

Small caught up with Davina Zagury at her Siblings Project exhibit opening at Pomme NYC. The sunny Saturday afternoon was filled with families trying to find Davina's favorite of them on the wall of so many! All unique and beautiful.

It was fun watching children sip lemonade and smile at the photos of themselves with their brother(s) or sister(s). Here are a few Davina kindly let Smaller post. Enjoy!

 

 

filed by Jasmine Astronomo-Berger- Small's New York editor.  
 

 

Behind the Scenes - underwater

Chris Plavidal shot some swimmers underwater for us for the summer issue. Hands down the best working conditions!

Summer issue of Small out this week!

small inspiration 56

Rob Hahn - Deserted States of America

Jeffery Aaronson - Little-bit-of-Heaven Trailer Park

Small photo- Stomping Ground open studio special

Here is a bit more about one of our favorite new ideas from last year. Brooklyn based husband and wife team, Dennis and Kelsey started Stomping Ground after volunteering to take the school photos at their daughter's co-operative nursery. By involving the kids and letting them bring something of themselves to the session, they discovered the school photo could become a treasured image that really captures the child's spirit. The nursery school parents were so happy with the portraits Dennis and Kelsey realized they were onto something. 'We’ve found the way to bring high quality children’s portraiture to people at an affordable price is to create the work in the child’s world -- in school. And because of the economy of scale, we are able to offer great prices,” says Kelsey.Stomping Ground’s focus is on schools whose administration wants to offer parents an alternative to the status quo. The photos are unlike any “school picture” you’ve ever seen. Stomping Ground shoots on clean, bold backgrounds and their portraits
honor the individuality of children. “We treat kids with respect and collaborate with them,” says Dennis.

Stomping Ground offers Open Studio Days throughout the year for the public where mini-sessions can be booked at a discount. They have one coming up May 22nd and May 23rd in DUMBO Brooklyn.  If you are going to be in New York you can visit their website to book your half hour mini session at a discount. Dennis also accepts private commissions for family environmental portraiture.

When: May 22nd and 23rd 9.45am- 4.30pm

Where: Rabbit Hole Studio, 33 Washington Street Dumbo. 

Please visit information page on their website to make a booking.

small inspiration 55

Elizabeth Toll

Davina Zagury

Small photo- wonderland

Yeondoo Jung interprets children's photos into photographs. They are magical.

Thanks Kelsey for sending us the link. (Kelsey is the co- founder of the brilliant company that has reinterpreted the traditional school photo- Stomping Ground -and she has also just started a great new photo and kids blog)

Small magazine- location scouting

Location scouting for the summer issue- storm over the sea off the beautiful Mornington Peninsula

photos by Grant Cornett (check out his inspiring photo blog)

Small photo- small business

I have been reading a lot recently about the impact malls have had on our communities and lives. All these malls are now reaching the end of their lifespans and are being overtaken by concrete cancer, and malaise. It is already too late to save the small businesses across America, and the world, that the malls displaced. One of the reasons we started Small is because we believe in small business, and the independence and community they engender. These photos are by Karla and James Murray for their book Store Fronts: The Disappearing Face of New York.

Small Photo - Siblings: A photography project by Davina Zagury at Pomme

Davina Zagury - one of Small's favorite photographers-  will be at Pomme in Brooklyn April 12th & 13th capturing the bond of siblings for a two day photography project that will result in an exhibition.

To schedule an appointment, go to http://davinaz.brownbookit.com

April 10 - 11
10am to 6pm

The best part: Participation is free!  Prints (from $30) will be available for order after the exhibit opening.
Babies must be able to sit unassisted.

81 Washington St, at York.

DUMBO, in Brooklyn

Tel 718.855.0623

Small photo - wants your vote

Christopher Dominguez who shot these fabulous superheroes for Small last summer is up for the peoples choice award at PDN for a photo from that shoot. click here to vote for his photo.

Small giveaways- Aggie Hill

Aggie Hill is doing a great $300 give away ending today, this Monday! The give away is to celebrate the arrival of the gorgeous new spring line from Ferd. Just go to Aggie Hill  and enter your details to win. 

We love Ferd too. In fact the photos above were taking by Steve (Small magazines' photo editor and also Christine's husband), and styled by Christine. If you are interested in them styling and photographing your line, you can contact them through Small consulting on the Small magazine toolbar.

small photo- Michal Chelbin

Michal Chelbin -two photos from her book Strangely Familiar- Acrobats. Athletes and other Travelling Troupes

'Many viewers tell me that the world discovered in my images is strange. If they find it strange, it is only because the world is indeed a strange place.'

Small exhibtions: inspried by alice

We just saw down the rabbit hole...

a lovely stop animation film- with the beautiful Alison from A Fine Frenzy- by the photographer Ithlyle

and also....  Adolie Day sent us her image inspired by Alice for the exhibition Curiouser and Curiouser. We also love the illustrations by Oksana Badrak and Amy Sol for the same show . 

Small photo- daughters

Margaret M de Lange From her book Daughters.

I love this book.

Small inspiration 43

Cornell Capa The Player 1948  (from Shorpy - a collection of vintage photographs)

Lewis W. Hine Mill Worker. (From his collection exposing child labor in America 1908-1912)

Small photo- location scouting

I love location scouting, it is basically just 'looking around' which is always one of my favorite things to do. These are from a beautiful afternoon drive looking for somewhere to shoot the spring story for the magazine (coming out later this week!)

Lavender and wheat fields near the lovely Daylesford outside of Melbourne. Photos by Grant Cornett. 

Small Photo - Ellen's Picks

Ellen from the fabulous t-shirt line, Pluto, has a wealth of knowledge about photography, especially photography depicting children.  Here Ellen shares with us some of her favorite photographs.  
Thank you Ellen- these are truly inspiring.

WILLIAM GEDNEY 

MARVIN E. NEWMAN

MARIANNE COURVILLE

RALPH EUGENE MEATYARD

Small inspiration - 41

Polixeni Papapetrou

Julie Blackmon

thank you petit bonheurs for your inspiration list- they inspire me too.

Small inspiration 40

Delphine Chanet

Calder Stabile

Fridays are always a diptych of work we love from our inspiration boards.

Small inspiration 36

Left: Photo by Hamish Cairns 

Right: Photo by Sebastion Mlynarski

Small inspiration 31- red balloons

Lulu with balloons - Lottie Davies

From the film 'Le Balloon Rouge' directed by Albert Lamorisse

We are busy finishing off issue 12 which will come out this Friday. Here is a mid week inspiration!

Small street photos- Sophie Chalumeau

Sophie Chalumeau takes photos of kids in their own clothes and environments. We love her natural eye and perspective on kids and she regularly contributes to the Small street style section. Last week she sent us some fabulous photos from her family's Halloween in Holland- 'Halloween, the dark side'

Small inspiration 25

trees and the houses- a little spooky...

James Griffoen

Kevin Cooley

Small Inspiration 24

From our inspiration files for our next fashion editorial...Wintery Beach.

photo by Janete Anderman
photo by Tim Walker