Card Collecting

The composite card is like a model's greatest hits collection, a way of demonstrating his/her versatility and a means of leaving clients with a little something to remember them by post-casting. Agencies, depending on personal aesthetics and how editorial or commercial the markets they operate in are, can hold wildly different views on what pictures best sell you. Sometimes, they'll run two different versions at once and tailor the card to the brief. Quite sensible eh?
Below's an assortment of the comp cards I've acquired along the way.

The Long Way Home

Hey guys, after three years in London I'm back on home soil and based in NYC!It's been awesome soaking in the vibrancy of this incredible city and after a week of tending to logistics I'm starting to settle into my new surroundings. The past month has been hectic saying goodbye to friends in the UK and packing up but I was rewarded with a nice getaway in Koh Racha (island 45 minutes off of Phuket).
And many thanks for the snaps of the StarHub bus/account statements! Always neat to see candids. Saw the Osim uSpace tvc and print whilst I was in HK and Thailand so you guys in Singapore might stumble upon it as well!

A Model's Life

Perpetuated by the glitzy ads and commercials that spur consumer spending and fuel aspirational daydreams, one of the most enduring misconceptions about modeling is the belief that the glamour flows unabated into a model's everyday life. And while there are notable exceptions who've been launched into the stratosphere of penthouse suites and private jets, most models I know contend with a markedly more modest way of life.
Scraping by on a modest budget of sometimes as little as USD$65 a week (advanced from future earnings and often contingent on steady bookings and maintaining measurements) and huddled up in apartments that can sometimes house as many as 10, model living is traditionally basic and threadbare. Events called "Models Nights", where drinks and sometimes dinner are typically free of charge, can help defray the cost of going out, but after covering daily transportation and food costs, there still isn't much left of that $65 to stow away at the end of the week.
And coming home... Perish the thought of doorman buildings and walk-in closets. Model living often equates to bunk beds, disaster-zone kitchens and shared bathrooms (sometimes 4 to a room - think bunk beds). Obviously some are better than others but here's a sampling of some of the ones I've experienced first-hand.
To be fair, the model apartment experience can be a lot like summer camp, and though communal living isn't for everyone, the cramped conditions often do engender a strong sense of camaraderie as well as an adventurous spirit to go forth and explore.

Nivea TVC

A few weeks ago I was back in Asia again to shoot a tvc for Nivea. Other than the 6am call-time, the job went smoothly and I really enjoyed being back in Bangkok. Can't help but love the warmth and laid-back, positive energy that many Thais radiate. No wonder I'm going back again next month, though it might also have a little to do with the beautiful beaches and great food too :p

Horsing Around

Props have a transformative quality when it comes to shoots, and when they're living and breathing, it adds a whole 'nother dimension of both fun and complexity. Yesterday's "prop" in question was of the equine variety, and it was incredible (and admittedly a bit disconcerting) working with and around a race horse's mood and temperment. Here are some candids from the shoot:

StarHub

Here are the two versions of the StarHub job from earlier this month:

Polaroids - The Real Deal

Particularly when it comes to direct bookings (jobs booked without the client seeing you in person), candid snapshots take on crucial importance. As nearly all tearsheets are digitally enhanced in some way or another, casting folks often lament that models look far different from their picture-perfect portfolios. That's why agencies typically require polaroids, first as a means to select whom they'd like to bring onto their books and subsequently to have on hand should clients request them. Here's my latest set:

Home Again

Fourth outing in Singapore in the past year and it was just as great as the previous visits. Ended up doing two more jobs for StarHub (print and TVC) and two for Osim (print and TVC) - all should be popping up sometime in June. Above is the picture from the StarHub job last month (taken at the Hubstation roadshow at Plaza Singapura).
Landed back in London Friday afternoon and stopped off at the flat quickly only to rush out again to a fitting for a job that shot all day yesterday (8am-midnight!). Was a bit rough as I was still on Singapore time but as it was all location shoots (Canary Wharf, the City, Tate Modern/Millennium Bridge) it was nice to have a good reason to venture 'round town and revisit some of the city's hotspots.
Below are some of the highlights of this latest stint in Singapura. Hopefully I'll be back again at some point this year!

Back in Singapore AGAIN!

Seems I just can't get enough of the Garden City. Came out this time for print and TVC for Osim and had a great time shooting with an exceptionally cool cast and crew. Also came across the StarHub ad shot just two weeks prior (it's out already!) whilst wandering around - promise to load some new pics as soon as I'm back in London again.

Singapore Revisited

After three visits in the past year, Singapore has quickly become one of my favored stomping grounds, and I'm always stoked to back on Orchard observing what's changed in my absence (lots - seems like there's major construction going on just about everywhere). So when the call came last week to shoot a job for StarHub, I was thrilled. Weather was as oppressively hot as I'd remembered but I had a great time catching up with old friends and making a few new ones. Looking forward to getting back out there again soon!

Some of my favorite places:

True Fitness, Raffles Place (sadly closing down in the next few weeks)


Clarke Quay

Takashimaya Food Court
the pool at the Marriott
Miao Yi vegetarian restaurant, Coronation Plaza
Cathay Cine Leisure

And some of my favorite people:

Adrian

Lara, Ciane, Troy

Lynn, Aaron, Monica

Taylor, Justin

Test Shoot

New photos taken by Angus Chan, styled by Patryk Chaou

HSBC

Shot TVC and stills for HSBC last month and both the commercial and print ad were unleashed upon HK and Macau television viewers, public transit passengers and newspaper readers a few weeks ago. Really fun/funny job - the campaign is apparantly meant to highlight how the bank and its magic money cards are the key to fine wining and dining so that entailed female model Natasha and I demonstrating to the best of our ability how to live the high life. That meant feasting on lobster, sushi, decadent desserts, etc. Sounds pretty good, right? One small problem - she abhors seafood and I'm a vegetarian. Plus, film costs mucho dinero so you have to cram as many usable takes in as short a timeframe as possible so no leisurely nibbles. No no, BIG bites and FAST chewing, all while looking like you're in a state of deep, unadulterated bliss. Haven't seen the TVC component yet so hard to determine if ultimately we were convincing but here's the print ad:

Swatch Spring/Summer 08

Just rolled out earlier this month. We each shot individually and photographer Kristian Schuller completed the wind tunnel effect with a little post-production legerdemain. Ad looks a bit spliced because it was - a two-pager scanned in from the March issue of Wallpaper

Models 1 - London, UK

Just joined the men's board at Models 1 this week. Looking forward to working with the awesome bookers at the best agency in town!

Hong Kong

Have wanted to try working in HK for quite some time now, esp after having had really positive experiences in Bangkok and Singapore. January in many Asian markets can be quite a slow period though, and with clients in countries that celebrate Chinese New Year often going on extended vacations and/or postponing jobs until after the holidays, you run a big risk of sitting around twittling your thumbs contemplating the meaning of life for hours on end. Still, there's always that chance that you land a big budget tvc and then all is right and well in the world.

That being said, I'm definitely glad I came out here - met some great people, had some nice shoots with still time left over to do a bit of pontificating :)

Swatch Winter 07

Shot back in June and in stores now! I booked the job through my London agency, shot it in Mallorca, and a friend spotted the ad yesterday in a watch store in Singapore. It's a small world after all...

Photographer: Kristian Schuller

New Body Shots

Taken in London a couple months ago...

Expressions Spa

A good friend who was in Singapore last month recently sent this over - a scan from the local paper. Had a chance to get some treatments there while I was in town this summer and needless to say, it was a great way to spend a few hours post-flight/pre-shoot. Endorsing a spa sure is hard work! :p