Best of the Web

• Posted By: Kathy M.Y. Pyon
• Posted On: 2:38 p.m. | January 11, 2012

It’s the beginning of the year, and you’re back to it.  “It” being whatever you call your hustle.  Let’s start this year with a some visual inspiration and some good humor.  For all you visual journalists and creatives, enjoy Fotoshop by Adobé.  It’s quite telling of the culture and really fun.

WHY

Corey Rich and his team do adventure sports really well. The shots are always beautifully crafted from multiple angles and perspectives and the lighting is so crisp and lush.

The flow of WHY is nicely organized and each character is introduced to keep the story moving.  Each of the three are distinctive and the interviews are well-produced and clearly answer the question of “why.” I mentioned that the shots are beautiful, but they are beyond just beauty shots.    It is obvious that Corey understands this active lifestyle to be able to think about the cinematography quality of all his pieces.  The landscapes for transitions are very nice and slowing it down, particularly with the rapid kayaker, is a really nice touch – and then a rainbow?  Really, how perfect is that?  And, well, the Nikon D4 isn’t so bad either.

Check Patagonia – Deep North

The colorful Patagonia gear rests perfectly on the powdery white backdrops and the music is catchy.  The few still photographs are stunning and the video footage from the actual climbing is gorgeous.  The passion from the subjects translates effortlessly.   I marvel at the skill of just being able to be so steady when it’s cold.  I actually marvel at pretty much the entire idea of working in severe weather.

The North Face – Role Models

This is also a charming piece.

One thing I want to add from one of the comments by Corey is: “No project is done alone!”  I admire that he recognizes this.

Wika

Piotr Malecki’s piece on the 74-year-old DJ is wonderful.   First, the character is rocking in multiple senses of the word and so darn cute.  It helps that Piotr is a really good photographer and journalist.   His mix of stills and video works seamlessly.  This slice of life is unique and delightful to explore.

I have never met Piotr, but had the pleasure of assigning him a visually difficult assignment several years ago.  I knew that it would not be easy and lowered my expectations, but he delivered beyond imagination and made incredible photography out of nothing.  Since that experience, I have been following his work, which is tremendously consistent, journalistic with a tinge of edginess.  He has this knack for finding stories that take you into the lives of the ordinary, yet extraordinary.

Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam

The toy-like quality of Vietnam traffic is fantastic.   I loved the energy and the color palette. I have never seen anyone approach Vietnam like this and love seeing this city lighted up in this way.  The transitions are incredibly smooth and the closing-credits approach is so good.  This is a big statement, but I think this could be one of the best time-lapses I have seen so far.

Fotoshop by Adobé

This is hilarious, brilliant and quite awesome.  I laughed and then cried a little inside thinking of just how much we are saturated with the ideals of perfection. So, ladies, remember, when you are flipping through the fashion magazine, those pictures are touched up.  People do have pores and lines and even the most fit people have a little jiggle somewhere. Remember, imperfection is beautiful, too.

This satirical approach is genius and I’m thrilled with the statement.

And to check out portraits that are NOT touched up, go to Celebrity Portraits.

Caption: Top left: Why; Top right: Wika; Bottom left: Fotoshop by Adobé; Bottom right: Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam