EK Photography

Have you been following Eric Kim’s photoblog recently?  If not, you better pay him a visit.

Pretty cool. [Check out all 3]

“The Bell Ringer”

“We See What Most Don’t”

“Poverty Shouldn’t Be a Life Sentence”

the impossible cool.

Some of you may have noticed our links bar growing every now and then.  Some links are to sites we support.  Others are to organizations we admire.  And some are to sites we just like.  The bottom line is every link is there for a reason, significant or insignificant.

I thought I’d take some time to bring some attention to one of the sites on our list I particularly enjoy.  the impossible cool. is very aptly named, taking a simple concept and executing it stylishly.  It’s one of those ideas you kick yourself for not thinking of yourself.  The long and the short is, it’s a collection of more uncommon b&w’s of figures and celebrities we’re commonly acquainted with.  These photos, periodically interrupted by interesting quotes, capture these personalities in some of their most “impossibly cool” moments.  In plain English, the author of this blog posts pictures badass pictures of actors, musicians, authors, etc. we all respect.  Simple idea: picture, last name.  Quote every now and then.  The site is so plain and effortless yet so bloody original.

Personally, I think the best part of the impossible cool. is seeing a picture of someone you’re very familiar with in a completely unfamiliar setting, outfit, etc.  It takes the faces and names you’re accustomed to and makes them suddenly foreign.  It’s like discovering a new side or getting to know them all over again.  Or you just look at a photo and find yourself pausing and stepping back.  ”Damn,” you’ll say, “that’s *expletive* bad (as in good).”  

Yup.  It’s the impossible cool.

Can you recognize him?

I’ll give you a hint: he’s Italian.  Click here if you still can’t figure it out.  You might shite yourself once you realize who it is.

And my personal favorite…

That’s Michael Caine, my friends.  Michael freaking Caine.

The Fall

Motionographer recently kicked of a mini-series called “The Art of the Title,” honoring title sequences of what they consider truly beautiful title sequences.  Their first installment honors a film I watched awhile ago, which I felt was worth highlighting.  When the first trailers for The Fall started dropping I found myself holding my breath for what looked to be the most visually arresting film since 300 had sacked theaters in with its epic shots and visceral slow motion.  Filmed by the notorious Tarsem Singh, more commonly known simply as “Tarsem,” The Fall was director’s second feature film (the first being The Cell), set to debut at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival.

Unfortunately, like J-Lo’s flick, the movie as a whole turned out to be lackluster, featuring a storyline that was perhaps overly dramatic and hard to relate to.  But also like The Cell, storyline aside, the cinematography of the film was nothing less than stunning.  If you’re in the market for visual inspiration, both films are more than worth a peek.

Like Zack Snyder in 300, Motionographer points out that Tarsem masterfully utilizes slow motion to give chaos an eerie sense of tranquility.  View the breathtaking title sequence of The Fall here.  

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