A little wander around Columbia Road.

So I had a little wander around Columbia Road, East London, this morning and took a couple of snaps.

Maldives 2012 [Photos]

As I mentioned, a few weeks ago I took a cheeky vacation to the Maldives. My brother made this video of the trip, and I took a few photos. Have a lookie.

Croyde 2012

Last weekend I went to a very wet and a very windy Croyde in Devon to go surfing. Was a lovely time with almost all of my family. Here's a few of my favourite snaps from the weekend:

Behind The Scenes: Barack Obama.

Being the Official White House photography must be one of the most interesting jobs in the world. You get to see almost every aspect of perhaps the most powerful person on Earth on a daily basis, everything from taking down the world's most wanted, to clearing up oil spills to, of course, playing with the new family dog. This duty is taken on by Pete Souza. Souza's photos give you a sneaky look of what it actually takes to be Mr President.

Menorca 2012 Snaps.

Occasionally on my blog I like to get a little self-indulgence. Well, this is one of those occasions as I present a few of my favourite photos I took whilst on a much needed holiday in Menorca (on my shiny new camera).

(Technically a screen shot but I like it nonetheless)

Why Mono: The Power Of Simplicity.

"Make It Simple, But Significant"
Don Draper.

Why Mono? A discussion with creatives. from Callum Preston on Vimeo.

Yes I did just become the guy who works in advertising who quotes Don Draper. BUT I really like that line, and as a planner, it's something that I always try to remember.

It's definitely something to always remember when producing work in whatever form that may be, ads, photos, stories, whatever. Just because it's simple, doesn't mean it's stupid. Often far from it. In the creative world, the simplicity of black and white has always carried such power. And I think it's something that can sometimes be taken forgranted. It really makes you focus on the subject, you see lines and shadows often hidden by colours. It lets you make up your own mind and work it out for yourself, which I guess is what all great art does.

Loewe & The Sartorialist.

If you don't know of The Sartorialist, then you need to educate yourself (try this Intel sponsored short on him). Not content with either one of the most popular and influential fashion blogs on the web, or even the blog in book form, Scott Schumann is now creating an exhibit of his work in fashion boutique Loewe. In this short you get a quick insight in what he looks for in his subjects, how he manages to capture them and also talk on his upcoming exhibition.

Leica X Hermes: A Creation Of Beauty.

I really do enjoy a good collaboration. It is so often the chance when two well respected and well loved brands, from totally different fields, get to create something unique. Something that manages to draw in its respective fanbases to an area that they would have never considered before. One of the more stunning collaborations I've seen in recent times is the newly released Leica M9-P model that as a strong dash of luxury fashion brand Hermes about it. It really is something that is the definition of stunning. Just watch the video below to the see the care, love and skill that goes into making such a product. It almost justifies the $50,000 price tag.

Levi's: Locals Only.

Levi's is one of the most iconic brands in the world, revered as the symbol of being cool, youth and rebellious, a hard thing to keep a hold of for such a huge brand. And this proved the case as they lost this identity for a short while, as they grew in popularity, Dad's started to wear them. Yep, Dads. That's never good news. So in stepped one of the most creative and cool advertising in the world, Wieden + Kennedy to put them right back where they belong.

They first did that with their beautifully written and shot Go Forth campaign. They are now really getting under the skin of youth culture and the world in which they live in their Locals Only project. Locals Only marks the release of their new Black Tab Collection SS12 and takes the shape of a beautifully shot book of photos and 4 mini-documentaries looking at the lifestyle and cultures of modern-day pioneers.

For more pics click here.

Levi's also produced "four videos to capture a snapshot of different hubs and their associated crowds in Berlin, Marseille, Barcelona and Copenhagen. Both photography and documentaries zoom in on street culture movements and what they have become today, paying homage to the art of street style – which is inspiration for the collection. The photography and film team followed skateboarders Lennie Burmeister and Vincent Heller (Berlin), the bar Le Duke (Marseille), the notorious “Nasty Mondays” party founders MadMax and Sören Manzoni (Barcelona) as well as the famous custom motorcycle builders The Wrenchmonkees (Copenhagen), to capture the moments that make up each person’s days."

Copenhagen

Marseille

Berlin

Barcelona

Photographing The Yakuza: It's All Luck.

Though not being much a photographer myself, I have always been fascinated by photos and the stories they tell, how one single split second can be so defining. And I can come across few projects that are as fascinating as photographing the Japanese Mafia, The Yakuza.

The photos taken by Anton Kusters all beg to have their stories told. They all look dark, rushed and as if they were shot from the hip, probably because many were. It must have been a terrifying and exhilarating experience all at the same time. You instantly get the feeling of what it must have been like to be surrounded by some of the most dangerous men in the world whilst they conduct some of the most illegal deals in the world.

Luckily enough for us Anton conducted a TED talk to speak about his project. You get the feeling he could talk for hours about the crazy stories and situations that he found himself in. But what really stuck me about his talk is the importance of luck. But not just hoping for luck, making that luck for youself. And you do this by getting experiences and knowledge. The more of these you get, the more you have to relie on, the more prepared you are for any situation.