Tampa

I’m in Tampa, FL for the weekend for a little vacation time!

Savannah

I’m in Savannah shooting interiors this weekend. Savannah is a good place!

e.d. Where are you from?
r.k. Tejas.

e.d. Do you like Atlanta?
r.k. most of the time

e.d. What is your favorite color?
r.k. I’m really into colors, so my favorites change. You can tell by my wardrobe. When I am into a certain color you end up seeing a lot of it on me. I think I’m into orange and red orange right now.

e.d. Where do you get inspiration from?
r.k. I’m inspired by experiences. Traveling, music, and trying new things.

e.d. What are you up to? career plans etc?
r.k. Just finished grad school for graphic design, so I need one of those jobs. But clown school and scuba diving are on my list as well.

e.d. What do you want people to see in your work?
r.k. My humor and personality. I want my work to emote.

e.d. Do you have a website?
r.k. reenakaria.com It’s a work in progress.

e.d. What is your favorite place to eat?
r.k. Right now it’s Antico. Delicious, authentic Italian pizza.

e.d. cats or dogs?
r.k. I like them both if they don’t claw or bit my face off.

e.d. What annoys you?
r.k. waiting. being bored. lines.

Benjamin Pettus

Took some photos of Benjamin Pettus, a designer at Portfolio Center.

New York City

I went to New York City for a night last weekend to attend the Art Directors Club portfolio review. I didn’t take too many photos because I was super busy but here’s a few from my time at the airport:

weddingZ

I shot some fashion inspired bride and bridesmaid photos for Karla Jean Davis this weekend. I’m not posting those yet but here’s a shot from the wedding itself. It was a pretty overcast day but the clouds spread and the sun came out just in time for the wedding procession. I couldn’t resist taking a shot or two.

Cool Site

Here’s a great photo site: FWAphoto
There’s a new photo every day. The site is full of some great stuff.

Atlanta Food Tasting

Last week I attended the Atlanta Food Tasting.  It was pretty much more fun than going to the fair!

crepes

crepes!!

tickets

Cleo from 5 to 7

Cleo from 5 to 7 is a portrait. When I first started the movie, I was sure it was going to be a character study of a spoiled, vain, and empty songstress. However, as I watched Cleo, a singer faced with a deathly illness, roam the streets of Paris looking into the faces of friends and strangers for meaning I came to realize that director Agnes Varda carefully selected a very specific moment in this woman’s life to show the viewer. Varda gave us the hours 5 to 7 and like any good portrait that moment is both simple and complex, limited and vast.

The film follows Cleo as she copes with the possibility that she will die from cancer. Cleo begins the movie as a somewhat shallow and spoiled singer who is happy that she at least still has her looks and is happy that the cancer is in her stomach because no one will see it. Varda slowly shows us that Cleo’s looks are her mask and that she does not seem to have any really meaningful relationships. Maybe 30mins of the movie is committed to her discomfort as she realizes that the people around her don’t really love her or know her. She says that she’s worried that everyone is looking at her, but really only she looks at herself, that no one sees her. The threat of cancer essentially brings to surface a truth: she has not lived a life she is satisfied with and partly because she is unwilling to sink into her depths.

Like anyone who feels sorry for herself, Cleo decides to wander the city moping about her shortcomings and her approaching doom. At this precise moment she bumps into Antoine, a soldier who is about to ship out at 7. He sees her. He tells here she looks like someone who is waiting for something and not someone. In just moments Cleo delves into what appears to be the most sincere relationship of the film. She tell him that she is scared of everything and that she hates nakedness. He tells her “Nakedness is simplicity itself, like the sun, the water…”.
The movie is a portrait of her quest towards nakedness, to be seen, to face her illness, to face truth and when she find it with this passing soldier she admits that she feels happy and the movie ends. 

The strength of this movie comes in how cleverly Varda tells the story. The form of the film matches the meaning. The cinematography is simple black and white footage. It isn’t a flashy film nor is it fast and funny. It is simple but full of truth. The style is essentially striped down and naked. It’s full of cleverly placed metaphor that much of modern cinema lacks. Varda shows you a great search almost without showing you.

Christine Clayton

So another round of signoffs are nearing at Portfolio Center.  I had the pleasure of shooting a few of the designers’ work, but I did the most work for the talented Christine Clayton. I thought I’d feature some of her work here: