changing things up.

Well, it's been a good run Blogger but it is time to expand a bit. I've been in the process of moving content over to my new blog site as I'm ready to try something new. I'll probably cease posting here after this week but the site will remain up for archive purposes. Here's the new address:

csphoto-design.com/blog

be sure to bookmark me!

Trap.

A few shots from my session with BMG recording artist and cool cat Trap.

Monday Motivation...

One of the cool things about being surrounded by creatives for most of the week is having access to folks with a good eye. This photo of yours truly was taken by a young graphic design student at the Art Institute last week during an impromptu session.

Good job Javier!

J.Dilla ~ Still Shining

poster design by pain19

This week many of us celebrated the birthday of the late James "J.Dilla" Yancey. The video below is a tribute which was put together in 2006 to help commemorate this legendary producer through rare footage and interviews. One of the great things about this film is the respect this man garnered not only for his amazing and ground breaking style of production, but for his legendary work ethic. He was a true master of his craft and I can relate to those endless nights toiling away in the "lab", trying to perfect whatever task was at hand and often foregoing human interaction and sometimes sustenance in the spirit of pursuing the passion that drives us.

Creative Silence featured on That Good Good Blog...

I had the privilege of  being featured on an exciting style blog recently along with photographers Rog Walker and King Texas. It's always an honor to be shouted out by go getters I admire and this is no exception. Click the image above to be directed to the article and be sure to follow That Good Good Blog!

Distant Relatives ~ Patience

I came across this video by Nas and Damien"Junior Gong"Marley's collective effort Distant Relatives and am loving the tones and overall cinematography / imagery used. 

Directed by Nebil Elderkin

Post artwork by Gustavo and Clara

Well done.

DISTANT RELATIVES "Patience" from nabil elderkin on Vimeo.

Onelia

focus.

week __ of 52

Big Remo + BET.com's Spotlight

© Creative Silence

A few months ago I had the privilege of photographing 9th Wonder's IWWMG record label. 9th and crew have been doing a great job pushing this young and talented group of artists to always be their best behind the mic as well as away from it. One of his artists making waves in the Hip Hop world is North Carolina's own Big Remo. Click the photo above to be directed to Bet.com's Spotlight and read more about this stellar MC.

Soulection

I stumbled upon this wonderful compilation from Soulection featuring some of the most avante guard beatsmiths currently making noise in the underground across the world. Click the image above to be directed to the Soulection website to download the full mix.
Soulection // Teaser by SOULECTION

Danusa.

So, what's so special about you?

That is a question I ask myself everyday as I re-evaluate, upload, tweak and observe this thing I call Creative Silence, as well as the myriad of other businesses growing and trying to find their own place in the art, design, photography world. What's so special about you? What is it about you or your business that makes someone decide to choose you for their visual solutions in such a crowded field? What are you doing to ensure people will trust you enough to contact you over someone who does the exact same thing just down the street? A huge part of being a small business owner, entrepreneur, etc, is having one's ear to the proverbial street as trends emerge, become old, and just go away. Another part is finding your voice as I mentioned in a previous post. Many have found the social networking sites to be of great value to their businesses, while others shun it and take to the streets to promote and "sell" themselves and their work.  I believe a little bit of both helps, and in this day and age, it is crucial to be able to navigate facebooktwittertumblrbloggerwordpresslinkedinland in order to be seen and heard by a generation who logs on first thing in the morning before eating breakfast (which is most of us).

The Influencers ~ Steve Stoute

Another installment of the great Influencers series featuring Steve Stoute, founder and CEO of brand management firm Translation. I laugh at the fact that when I thought of Steve Stoute, the first thing that came to mind was the incident some years ago when Puff (Diddy to most of you) assaulted him with a champagne bottle over a major misunderstanding.

Sonia.

in her element.

Mark McNairy New Amsterdam No.6 Exclusives

I've been eyeballing this classic style for some time now. For more views of this staple shoe go HERE.

Clutter free.

One of my favorite books. I've had it for several years now but always refer back to it when in need of some decorating inspiration. It looks like this will be in use again over the next few months as we'll be moving. Definitely looking forward to getting settled in and seeing what we do with the place. Stay tuned....

Intel Visual Life - The Sartorialist

Many of you are already familiar with Scott Schuman's work via his now renowned blog The Sartorialist. Scott's blog has become the standard that helped start a movement of street photography that focuses on style. Scott can be seen anywhere from the streets of Manhattan all the way to Paris photographing some of the most eclictic and stylish inhabitants for our viewing pleasure.

style.

I've never been the snazziest dresser coming up but I always tried to make it a point to rock the hell out of whatever I was able to. This is very important when defining your style. It has nothing to do with WHAT you are wearing but everything to do with HOW you wear it. It's about knowing who you are, being confident, and being able to walk into a room with $1 in your pocket but feeling like a million bucks. A huge part of Creative Silence is making light of the fact that while fashion does have its place, our true job is to bring out your personal style, regardless of what you are wearing. Style also doesn't only have to deal with clothing, it can be the way you walk, the music you listen to, the way you drink your coffee, sketch, paint, write and so on. All these things can encompass style and it is up to you to define it. 

However you personally incorporate style into your life, whatever you do, do it your way and find your voice. Set yourself apart and leave no questions as to what makes your style yours.

to be continued...

Reverting to Type Exhibition

The work of 20 modern day letterpress practitioners converge in London's Standpoint Gallery for the Reverting to Type exhibition. As a designer, it is important to never take for granted the beauty of the printed medium. If you're in the London area, please visit this exhibition :)