Capricorn — THE DEN by Big Leo

Entries filed under Capricorn

Throwing Curves

Eva Ziesel described herself as ‘a maker of useful things.’ Such an understatement from one of the titans of 20th century design. From someone who survived solitary confinement in Stalin’s prisons, took the last train out of Austria when the Nazis invaded, and arrived in the US with $67 in her pocket. From someone who went on to teach at Pratt and was given the first one-woman show at the New York MOMA. Just last year Jim Bastardo was fortunate enough to be assigned her portrait by Design Within Reach. A truly special opportunity and I think he really created an enduring image. Some people are so much a part of what they do, and Eva just lived her creations. And they will let her live long after she is gone. Truly, that is grace.

Posted January 11, 2012 by Mary Dail |
Filed Under: Capricorn

Looking Back, Looking Forward

The past year was a whirlwind of new projects, new friends and new faces. Below is a sampling of the images that Big Leo artists helped produce in 2011, and it represents only a small fraction of the projects that we took on. We are so grateful to be able to collaborate with so many creative people and look forward to a whole new season of making the best images come to life. Thank you everyone who was a part of so many successful teams. Happy New Year to all of our friends, clients, families and all! May 2012 bring joy and prosperity to each and every one of us!

Posted January 3, 2012 by Mary Dail |
Filed Under: Aquarius, Aries, Cancer, Capricorn, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Pisces, Sagittarius, Scorpio, Taurus, Virgo

Cookies After All

The only thing better than a cookie is a giant cookie. And the only thing better than a giant cookie is a ginormous cookie. Case in point – scale the heights of these beauties shot by Hector Sanchez and styled by Paul Lowe himself for the holiday issue of Sweet Paul Magazine. My personal favorite is the ice-skating shot – wouldn’t mind sinking knee-deep into that gooey caramel. We’re going to have to eat our way out!

Posted December 5, 2011 by Mary Dail |
Filed Under: Capricorn, Taurus

Too Many Celebrities in the Kitchen

Paula Deen, Carla Hall, Tom Colicchio and the Neely’s are all crowded into a small kitchen trying to make Thanksgiving dinner for their friends at Redbook Magazine. It is hot, busy and everyone is pushing and shoving to get more time in front of Hector Sanchez‘s camera. That’s when it happens. Someone used the last stick of butter, and someone else turned down the oven temp before the turkey was done, and with tensions running high, Paula dumps an entire bag of bread crumbs on Carla’s head. From there it devolves into an all star food fight. We would post the pictures that Hector shot of the melee, but that depends on how much ransom we can get from the involved parties’ PR firms. (If this sounds anything like your family Thanksgiving, we’re right there with ya. Happy turkey day!)

Posted November 21, 2011 by Mary Dail |
Filed Under: Capricorn

Barrels And Crates

Check out the new Crate & Barrel cover by Jim Bastardo! The floor, the wall texture, the gift wrap colors – such a beautiful shot!

Posted November 8, 2011 by Mary Dail |
Filed Under: Capricorn

Got Beef?

Hector Sanchez is on a roll – here is the new cover he shot for the holiday issue of Fine Cooking. Covers are always dicey since you can’t just shoot a nice picture – it has to fit into all the specifications for logos and copy, in addition to being striking enough to sell lots of magazines. And wow, that is one fine looking piece of meat (and we’re not just talking about the photographer).

Posted November 3, 2011 by Mary Dail |
Filed Under: Capricorn

Welded Steel

For the August issue of the Design Within Reach catalog, Jim Bastardo had the good fortune to travel with a team to a restored mind-century home designed by the architect Arthur Witthoefft. The home was painstakingly restored by Todd Goddard and Andrew Mandolene before being added to the National and New York State Registers of Historic Places.

Jim had this to say about shooting in the structure: “Everyone works so hard on a shoot and it shows in our work. It is such a team effort – the rest of the crew all make me look good – not to mention the house, which was just stunning in all the little details. It is rare that all of those things come together, and it really shows in the way the catalog came out.”

This video goes inside the house for the shoot, and explores some of the other scenes from the August issue:

DWR Behind the Scenes – August Catalog from Design Within Reach on Vimeo.

Posted November 1, 2011 by Mary Dail |
Filed Under: Capricorn

Black Squid Risotto

This Halloween, look in the darkest corners of the supermarket to find inspiration for some ghoulish dishes. Hector Sanchez went deep into the darkest caverns of the Motha Stewart studios to shoot this sumptuous and slightly evil story on ghost story dishes. Coming from the supernatural southeast, I love the visual of a haunted Waffle House where you can order the hash browns Drenched, Blistered, Drizzled, Spattered and Shriveled. Now that is downright scary.

Posted October 26, 2011 by Mary Dail |
Filed Under: Capricorn

Dippity Do Da!

For the fall issue of Sweet Paul Magazine, satisfactual photographer Hector Sanchez dunked his camera in a bucket of paint. Other things that may or may not have been dunked: assistants, c-stands, back issues of Donna Hay, and the delivery guy from ‘Wichcraft. But we’re just kidding about the camera. That would be crazy.

Posted September 20, 2011 by Mason Adams |
Filed Under: Capricorn

Within Reach

In mailboxes everywhere – Jim Bastardo shoots the cover of this season’s Design Within Reach catalog. It is so rare to have such a great mind meld between photographer and client – you can just tell right away that they just get it, and work together to visually define a brand. In a time of so many mercenary-like changes in the industry, the quality and thought behind DWR’s catalog and its photography really shines.