Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Thumbs Down: The Talk

Speaking of noise...


I don't watch The Talk. I wrote back in September that I had watched a handful of episodes last year but between it's cold sacking of two of it's hosts and it's....well...the usual crapfest it's hour ends up being I decided life was too short to add it to my DVR list.

But...earlier this week as I was running around getting ready for work when I see a commercial for the guest co-hosts for the week. For some reason Sharon Osbourne seems to be granted a huge amount of time off. (I sort of think much like HRP's recent appearance on CBS it is too keep her quiet). Among the guest hosts advertised were Henry Winkler (seen below) and that 'celebrity' blogger I find so distasteful. His site was actually one of the reasons FH took the tone it initially did. His hate filled site is so vile to me I cannot stand to watch him on anything. I am not the least bit convinced he has changed a bit, only bending to meet the money. It annoys the shit out of me when any show brings him on as a guest, but bringing him on as a guest host,giving him attention only spotlights exactly what I hate about the media, show business and human nature in general.

Compulsion: Josh B. by Allan Spiers Photography



When I first profiled the work of Chicago photographer Allan Spiers last March, (The Two Anthony's) I focused on the connection I felt to the motivation which drives Allan within his work.



'In my mind modeling is not just the presentation of a beautiful body, but rather the expression of a complex personality. Consequently, my goal is to discover and capture the true person in my images.'



'This is the reason I am compelled to take pictures – my desire to not only to show how something looked, but how it felt when I took the photograph and captured the moment. I want to convey the spirit and personality of the person from a new and surprising point-of-view.'


Allan's creative mission is the parallel to what guides me in how I formulate the blog. Although it occasionally happens, for some reason I generally have little to no interest in sharing images on FH that I don't know anything about. This might have to do with my past, or might just be the writer and detective in me. My profession is all about exploring the lives of others and I rarely settle for the what is seen solely on the surface. The surface is a package, but it is what is underneath that truly holds my interest.


Allan's compulsion to unwrap the package and explore beyond the surface is exactly what I try to do each day with FH. To have the reader not just enjoy the shots I present, but feel and experience all that went into their creation. The feel and experience of Josh B. is certainly an amazing one. It is difficult for a model to hide who they are in front of Allan's lens as he adds few elements to distract. Solid backgrounds, a color palette of blacks, whites, greys and browns means your attention is drawn directly to the subject.


Allan Spiers Official Website HERE:
Allan Spiers on Model Mayhem:
Join Allan's photography page on Facebook