Raafi Rivero | images and ideas

Second Intro

It was a Sunday evening, a little over a year ago. Thaddeus Clark is on the phone.

Thadd: Let’s do a video.
Me: Cool. When.
Thadd: Wednesday.
Me: Word!

That’s how it came together. We had been talking/planning. But it was one of those maybe, maybe not kind of things. Never the right window. Until the window opened. And we jumped through.

We never got to use the shot above, but it’s one of my favorite still frames from the shoot. And below that is another little something with Thaddeus Clark from a month before the shoot. Props to Teddy Boy for always coming through with the proper threads. The Side Hustle album is a free download. And you can’t beat that with a bat!

Gary Graham, fall 2011

Alex Antitch adjusts a strobe with his assistant
two models at Gary Graham, fall 2011

For the past few seasons I’ve shot video for Gary Graham’s fashion week presentations under the tutelage of Alex Antitch for Ace Collective. Antitch is Graham’s regular photographer and the creative director of his most recent shows. This time around the shoot was at Graham’s recently christened Tribeca space. There was the usual frenetic energy belowdecks and the calm focus of execution above.

During the first fifteen minutes of the show photographers jostle for position in front of the attendees. “Hey man, you’re in my shot.” It’s a scrum. After they decamp, there’s room for everyone to look.

Bradford Young, shining

I posted on Bradford Young’s big Sundance win over at Desedo. And a hearty congrats here! Process interview? Got that. And a couple pics from the archive.

Scout Session

Jerome Loston on a scout
Thaddeus Clark, in brooklyn

Often a location scout will yield fun shots that don’t end up being useful for anything else. Here are a couple, done up magazine style. These may not be direct quotes, but hey.

in season

Literally thousands of Santas descended upon the West Village on saturday. These are just a few of them. Shot some video on a borrowd tilt/shift lens — extra wide, as you can see — but there’s nothing like a good still frame.

Bun So Sweet

Sometimes New York dazzles with simplicity. I did not even buy this roast pork bun, yet it made my day happier. In another city I might not have gone to the Chinese bakery for coffee. In another city there might not have been a Chinese bakery to go to. In this city there are plenty, with ample treats besides.