Sat 9th May: Portrait Photographer Profile - Dan Wilton

I first borrowed images from Dan Wilton's portraits archive in March when he covered the single launch for thecocknbullkid who has been a recurring subject in his vast library. (http://fredbutlerstyle.blogspot.com/2009/03/tues-17th-thecocknbullkid.html) Although preliminary press shots of immerging artists are necessary to launch their career, these are also the pictures that go down in history when the act was captured in their primary state and purest essence. I always love discovering the first early shots of musicians where they are almost unreconisible, unaffected and unaware.............before they have started hiding behind the masquerade of their own constructed character identity. For example Maripol's Madonna or Mick Rock's Iggy Pop. So it’s an exciting time to be at the epicenter of London's unprecedented up surging saturation of stars in the ascent. There are a few photographers snapping the scene but Dan's seem to be the most energetic and fun-filled so I wanted to know how he achieves getting the best out of the crop of new bands..................








1) Whats your earliest memory of using a camera?

I've got a really hazy memory of pinching my Dad's camera when I was a toddler and trying to figure it out, then dropping it. Got in a bit of trouble for that one



2) What was your 1st camera? What kind of collection do you have now, whats your favourite?

My Dad's old Olmypus OM-20 (with a dent in the top of it from my toddler steal). I'm a bit of a closet camera geek, got a bunch of different cameras, all different shapes and sizes. I'm actually waiting for the postman to come as I'm getting a new one delivered today! My favourite? Probably my Contax T2 - goes everywhere with me




3) Do you always have a camera on you?
If yes: What has been the best candid shot you took?
If no: What was the most regrettable moment you missed?

Pretty much always got a camera with me yeah. I hate to admit it but I'm a little cat obsessed with the new addition to our household Ron. So he's gonna have to feature somewhere in this interview (pic attached)



4) How did you get into portraiture (break through commission?

I wouldn't say I've broken through at all yet. There's definitely been an element of blagging in the past, putting myself in shoots where I haven't really felt comfortable - that's a great way to force yourself to learn. More recently, shooting for 'Sup & Volume has really helped as I've had some great bands put in front of my camera and that's now leading to some really great commissions



5) Who has been the most fun to shoot and why?

Rusko was great cos he was up for trying anything. Ended up getting his manager and his wife to chuck bag load's of flour all over him on the tube. The Black Lips were brilliant just because they were so relaxed in front of the camera. Fake Blood was really enjoyable because he had such strong ideas on what he wanted - that became more of a collaboration rather than a normal shoot. All fun shoots but for loads of different reasons




6) Any disasters or divas?

One particular band was a bit of a Spinal Tap-esque farce but I don't think I can name names...

7) Whats your favourite portrait from history?

Wow. Er...tricky. There was an amazing painting of Michael Jackson up for grabs in his recent Neverland auction of him dressed like an 18th century royal. I had grand plans of organising a bunch of similar minded friends to buy it and each have him for a month of the year, time share style, but it never quite happened. Shame

8) What would be your dream subject alive or dead? (person and place)

ZZ Top. I love massive beards



9) Whats your magic formula to get a good shot out of a shy person?

I think it varies from person to person. I try to be as relaxed as possible and hopefully that can rub off on the person I'm shooting. But to be honest, a lot of the time if I'm shooting a shy person, then I want some of that shyness to come across in the photos as that's part of who they are, and that's not necessarily a bad thing




10) Any insider top tips of musicians you have shot recently?

I haven't shot them yet but Luisa & The Lampshades are brilliant, go check them out - www.myspace.com/helouisamusic. Oh and Lesbian Bedsit, they're gonna be massive - www.myspace.com/lesbianbedsit





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0044 (0) 7779 101241
www.danwilton.co.uk
www.danwilton.blogspot.com
www.danwilton.zenfolio.com
www.myspace.com/danielpaulwilton
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Sat 9th May: Bulletproof

"Bulletproof" is the next single from La Roux and the video has been uploaded for a preview on the BBC website:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_8038000/8038450.stm

Featuring archive pieces from my A/W 08 collection "Dodecahedron Collision" as styled by Nova Dando and intergrated into the set via CG by the French collective of directors known as UFO.

Fri 8th May: Guillaume Boulez

Guillaume is a stylist based in NYC where we first met when he came to intern for AsFOUR. After taking on their PR for a stint in the days of when a database was a series of sequin covered address books and requests were done via fax!!!!!! More recently he has worked with Alicia Lombardini styling the likes of Erin Fetherston but now he is off on his own. This time last year he requested some special pieces from me which I made and fedexed over but until yesterday hadn't seen the results. So another great unexpected surprise to see such crisp imagery of the pieces. Thank you Guillaume! Beautiful!

Thurs 7th May: Esser Exclusive - Brave Face

Well here it is, Esser has released his debut album this week.........entitled "Braveface". Since first discovering his music and art direction by Elisha Smith-Leverock last summer (http://fredbutlerstyle.blogspot.com/2008/09/weds-10th-sept-worked-it-out.html) I have been relentlessly championing this uber sharp musical shape-shifter. That was before I even got a whiff that we shared the same improbable talent hotbed background of Colchester Instiute (big-up to all fellow canteen dwellers out there)! So without furthur a-do here are some archive Polaroids thanks to Elisha, who has been documenting his different projects leading up to the release. I asked Ben a few atypical questions and he has taken time out to honour yet another blog request to give us the inside scoop................


If you could learn any instrument what would it be, and who would you like to be taught by? (dead or alive)

Id have greg howard teach me the chapman stick.






What has been your most inspiring encounter?

I think it was when don letts came on stage and did a vocal on satisfied. Hes obviously a hugely influential figure..... That was pretty amazing to be honest.



What has been the most unexpected positive performance and why?

I never really expected a gig in chelmsford to be quite as rowdy. The term is barhouse crazy.




What was your favourite tune to dance round the house when you were a kid?

Boom boom boom by the outhere brothers was always a favorite and actually still is.




Whats your favourite home-comfort when you get off the road after a tour?

Just home cooked food. Its nice to eat something that you know is real, like a plain potato.




Any idea or clue what you may have been in a previous life?

Im pretty sure i was a pigeon




Whats your dream venue for a gig (could be literally anything imaginable........not necessarily real!)

Id like to play in the town of fucking. Fucking?is a small settlement (population c. 150), part of the municipality of Tarsdorf, in the Innviertel region of western Upper Austria, located at 48°02′59″N, 12°50′59″E, bordering Bavaria. It is near the city of Salzburg. The village is known to have existed as “Fucking” since at least 1070 and is named after a man from the 6th century called Focko.





Any advice for the next unsigned discovery?
Just relax.



Elisha's illustration collaborator Omar Hraib has hand drawn artwork for special version of the album exclusivley for Pure Groove. There are only 200 copies of the vinyl edition in the world! So get down to Smithfields to snag a copy or for those in the Essex homelands, head to HMV in Chelmsford today for an instore signing at 5pm.

Weds 6th May: Little Boots

I knew that my archive pieces have been going out on a few different shoots for Little Boots but hadn't see them crop up anywhere yet........not even the main press shots.......BUT then thanks to Aimee Robinson I discovered it was there all the time but I hadn't noticed.........due to a Carl Cox CD stuck on the front of Mix Mag directly ontop of my belt with the magazine titles obscuring the irredescent hair piece. So now I'm overjoyed to see both these accessories styled with a Peter Pilotto dress by Stevie Westgarth and shot by Diana Gomez. These pieces are a couple of years old now so its a real joy to see them still in circulation and relevant.........YAY!

Tues 5th May: Fred Butler Accessories To Buy

Today is officially the 1st day that my accessories are available to buy in London..............

KABIRI are stocking some of the latest collection which is still all hand made with love, in-house at my studio.
They have 3 outlets, 1 on Marylebone High Street, Covent Garden and a concession in Selfridges.
I have done their windows to accompany the launch.........the flagship store has a large print by Elisha Smith-Leverock and for Selfridges I made a special hat to fit in with the centenary colours.
The origami silk pieces from the collection are made with fabric designed in collaboration with Brie Harrison.

So if anyone would like to spread the word, please do!
I'm over the moon that my accessories are now accessible.............

www.kabiri.co.uk
37 Marylebone High Street W1U 4QE

Tues 5th May: Tis Nice

For one week and one week only, I have the priviledge of being the guest blogger on www.itsnicethat.com. I have to divulge one of my 5 favourite things each day and there is also a little interview too. Yesterday was a feature on Craig Lawrence and today is a piece about Maki Lou Lou. Here is the picture I sent over for Maki's write-up which is from a set design that she did for a shoot with photographer Rory DCS.
So thanks to Alex & Will @ http://www.itsnicethat.com/ for the invitation to join their fantastic site!

Mon 4th May: Art Against Knives

If you are free and in the East End of London either today or tomorrow................check out "Art Against Knives"...............with the auction taking place tomorrow eve at 9p.m ............... works for sale to raise money for the charity including these by Julie Verhoven, Will Broom, Giles Deacon and Tim Walker.......






ART AGAINST KNIVES

ON THE 4TH MAY THERE IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE AND
DESIRABLE EXHIBITIONS TAKING OVER SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL… ARTISTS
AND DESIGNERS FROM ACROSS EAST LONDON AND BEYOND HAVE COME
TOGETHER…

ON 28 AUGUST 2008, OLIVER HEMSLEY A 20- YEAR-OLD STUDENT FROM CENTRAL ST MARTIN’S COLLEGE, WAS STABBED BY
A GROUP OF YOUTHS AT LEAST EIGHT TIMES IN AN UNPROVOKED DAYLIGHT
ATTACK ON BOUNDRY STREET IN EAST LONDON. OLIVER'S HEART AND
BREATHING STOPPED UPON ARRIVAL AT THE ROYAL LONDON HOSPITAL, AND
WHILE HE WAS SUCCESSFULLY RESUSCITATED, HE HAD TO SPEND THE NEXT
134 DAYS IN INTENSIVE CARE RELYING ON LIFE-SUPPORT MACHINES TO KEEP
HIM ALIVE.

THANKFULLY, AS A RESULT OF OLIVER’S INSPIRATIONAL DETERMINATION AND
THE HARD WORK OF THE MEDICAL TEAMS WHO TREATED HIM, HIS LIFE IS NO
LONGER IN IMMEDIATE DANGER AND HE HAS BEEN MOVED TO A SPECIALIST
REHABILITATION UNIT AT THE ROYAL NATIONAL ORTHOPAEDIC HOSPITAL IN
STANMORE, MIDDLESEX. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE EXTENT OF HIS
INJURIES, NEITHER OLIVER NOR HIS FAMILY WILL EVER LEAD NORMAL LIVES
AGAIN. OLIVER’S SPINAL CORD WAS PARTIALLY SEVERED IN THE ATTACK,
LEAVING HIM PARALYSED, WITH MINIMAL MOVEMENT BELOW HIS NECK. HE
WILL NEVER WALK AGAIN, AND WILL REQUIRE CONSTANT MEDICAL
ATTENTION FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE.

WE ARE DETERMINED TO SALVAGE SOMETHING POSITIVE FROM OLI'S TRAGIC
STORY BY FOCUSING ON EVERYTHING THAT OLIVER LOVES IN LIFE.
AS A RESULT, ART AGAINST KNIVES HAS BEEN CREATED….
THE AIM OF THE TWO-DAY EVENT IS TO SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT WHAT
HAS HAPPENED IN THE HEART OF OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS TO RAISE
MONEY TO PROVIDE OLIVER WITH EVERYTHING HE WILL NEED IN THE FUTURE.


ART AGAINST KNIVES EXHIBITION
MONDAY 4TH MAY 2009
SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL GALLERY
11.00AM- 9.00PM ENTRY FREE

PHOTOGRAPHY
FASHION
FINE ART
ILLUSTRATION
SCULPTURE
LIGHT INSTALLATION
CAFÉ TO BE OPEN ALL DAY
ALL WORK FOR SALE

ART AGAINST KNIVES EXHIBITION OF AUCTIONED
WORK
TUESDAY 5TH MAY 2009
SHOREDITCH HOUSE
12.00PM-7.00PM
ENTRY FREE

ART AGAINST KNIVES AUCTION AND PARTY
ENTRY INVITE ONLY
CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION 7.00PM-9.00PM
AUCTION 9.00PM

PLEASE REQUEST AN INVITE@
RSVP@ARTAGAINSTKNIVES.COM
PERFORMANCES AND PARTY 10.00PM-3.00AM

Sun 3rd May: Alternative Miss World Part III

Sun 3rd May: Alternative Miss World Part II

Im so glad I finally have a functioning camera again! So...........lots of pics