The Greatest #10: Brian McCarty

Brian McCarty is a breath of fresh air; he is the best toy shooter I've ever seen. His photos are funny, original, inventive and, most importantly, they feel alive. What an incredible talent.

Glasser

I heard Glasser's first few tracks almost two years ago and fell in love. She has amazing stage costumes and collaborating with her is a true pleasure. She is really invested in doing something artistic and has no problem taking chances. Her EP is coming out (for which I was lucky enough to shoot the cover) and I greatly look forward to her new work.

Friends

One of my favorite models is Ann, who has no professional experience. She is a scientist at a UC Berkeley Lab and I have known her since I was 13. Recently, we went for a boat ride that never got out of the docks, so we went for a walk down by the bay and did some off-the-cuff shooting. I strongly believe one should shoot his/her friends, it always yields the most exciting, emotive results without trying to.

A Walk in the Park

A friend asked me to do a beauty test when I was in NYC and I was lucky enough to work with Mariana from Click, who is totally lovely in every way. She was the face biting a finger in the Tom Ford sunglasses ads (and the crotch for his fragrance).
And what a find in our hair and make-up artist, Jacqueline Cookson, who is incredible. She does a great job making models look their best but not over done. And she is a hoot!

The New Polaroid

When I was in New York, I stopped by the new Impossible Project offices, which are fantastically illuminated with huge windows and house a lovely gallery space!
They had some of the new Polaroid Instant 600 film which I bought for an upcoming shoot and it is awesome. So beautiful and textured, with reds and browns and it erodes over time, giving the images a very unexpected quality.
I love it.

Travels

I was lucky enough to go straight from New York to a double-header shoot in Nashville, TN.
The city rules, we had such a great time, ate the best biscuits and shot wonderful subjects.
It was some of the best 48 hours I've had.
This is Djuna and Rory standing in for various shots done with expired Polaroid films.

MOPLA Madness

I was lucky enough to be asked to contribute to a MOPLA show this year. The show I'm in is called "Dear Diary" wherein I shot my daily activities for a week. And I realized how boring my life is!
However, it was an worthwhile challenge to try to find a way to show normal objects and simple experiences in an engaging way with no preparation or forethought. The other photographers in the show are wonderful, I am excited to be in their company.