Kristin Cofer - Design That Kills

Photo shoots photo shoots photo shoots, can’t stop thinking about photo shoots! Some other things consuming this brain are, the ladies of Twin Peaks- I caught a terrible virus and for four days all I did was watch this television show, I finally know who killed Laura Palmer! Now that I am back at work, not only is the theme song stuck in my head, but I have a crush on Agent Cooper and the fashions of the Twin Peaks ladies.

“For all the musicians crafting grimy, lo-fi electro-rock, the man behind Blank Dogs takes it to another level, because it feels like he means it.” [The Wire] Another Brooklyn band from Mark, he sure knows my musical tastes, The Blank Dogs. Download two of my favorites, “Freezing Styles” and “Leaving the Light On”.

Other visual treats include the styling, photography and fashion design of Bea Szenfeld. The way bardot charming dresses on a daily basis, a model and a crocodile, Roald Dahl-themed photoshoot by Tim Walker for British Vogue December 2008, found via galadarling.

These shoes are my current favorites, as well as this femme fatale trench from modcloth- The search for inspiration continues- new fall days, moments, potential creations brimming inside these fingers and lens.

the most recent artist interview was done by richard wayne- who is my honey, resident david bowie expert, prince impersonator, and partner in crime.

together, we are working on a secret bonnie and clyde design operation (to be unveiled in november) and below is our first collaboration, a poster for our friends the agent ribbons girls.

agent ribbons is banned in the UK and there is a really great article about them in this week’s SF weekly along with a photo by me!

this week i am one tired design darling, all i have been doing is photo shoot, design, photo editing, design, work and repeat! (no wonder my vision is going bad!) to survive, i inhale coffee and listen to nick cave loud on headphones-

sunday i drove two of my favorite models, baby dee and alexandra up to sacramento where they posed, my friend jonathan did hair and make-up and i photographed some beautiful high fashion images- it was a long day full of giggling, visiting an amazing vintage clothes shop bows and arrows (and borrowing some beautiful clothes), listening to loud dance music, and eating in-n-out french fries late while driving back to the bay area-

i’m in nesting mode since richard wayne moves here from the east coast next tuesday- i want this black faux fur duvet cover and daydreaming about these suede shoes! the next months all i think about is hiding out, working on my book project, and creating more beautiful art-

i am in lust with my new red patent leather steve madden mary janes,
they are dreamy on the eyes and feets-

the talented swiss graphic designer vectortrash posted his final version of Kiki Bomb, it’s gorgeous-

nubby has an upcoming show, black & white graphic insight definitely check out her beautiful black and white collaged pieces- she has a variation of styles and sizes for every taste and budget.

lisa marie was and her rocker man, hang jones, are in nashville, check out her amazing photos here!

an interesting phenomenon in the electronic fashion blog world, lookbook.nu is a self proclaimed, “international social expriment in style inspired by fashion blogs and “what are you wearing today?” forums.”

i can’t believe some people really look that amazing every day AND have time to take an equally incredible photograph. ever wonder why i don’t post photos of myself very often? because i’m so vain about photographs now (except when i play with the macbook photobooth, but that doesn’t count.) they have to look a certain way and have a certain perfection about them, or i just can’t do it- half the time i will post an image of myself and delete it an hour later- (oh the curse of being both an artist and a graphic designer-)

found on oh joy! artist kent rogowksi who “takes ordinary teddy bears have been turned inside out and re-stuffed so each animal’s appearance is created by little intricacies of the manufacturing process.”

i want one! please please! i’ll be a good girl! (promise.)

can’t believe i missed one of my very favorites NICK CAVE and the bad seeds play in san francisco, oh the sadness- but i did enjoy looking at the photos that photographer leila-anne posted of this beautiful and amazing creature.

and for your enjoyment on that note, please click here to enjoy nick cave singing, do you love me?  (do you?)

he designed that beauty from this one…

♥ drooling over new york fashion week images of the new marc by marc jacobs collection-

♥ living the vampire lifestyle, much like the kids in my favorite film, the lost boys, complete with 80s soundtrack- in which i am up until four or five in the morning photo editing, designing- and then sleep until noon or later, work and repeat.

♥ yesterday i photographed my first real agency model at a catalog photo shoot that i was hired to shoot! i am beyond ecstatic and in post production land right now- sharpen, levels, tweak, save as .tif and repeat repeat repeat.

♥ life feels amazing, and there is just so much to create and do, obsessed with designing a photography book from blurb.com

♥ tomorrow i fly east to visit my honeys and the pennsylvania countryside! i look forward to spooky east coast trees, the andy warhol museum, and taking a vacation from real life, california.

♥ came across an amazing english photographer, ren rox by chance. it’s been a while since i’ve been photography inspired and her images are worth an eyeball peak or ten.

♥ still obsessed with LouLou’s gigantic bows, the madonna inn, studying photography lighting, jessica-m’s illustrations, finding the perfect red soled high heels, johnny thunders, and daydreaming about chihuahuas, scarves and pumpkin weather.

i have a new favorite electronic shop lou lou loves you a sweet heart filled lingerie and bow emporium out of the UK. today i purchased my first hair/brooch bow and am excited to receive and adorn it! also expect an interview with loulou, a crimson haired beauty and mastermind behind the emporium soon!

found this etsy seller, the black apple from another dear one, am in lust with this image-

i would do anything to hug a giant bunny rabbit! the latest issue of N.E.E.T. magazine is here again and like always, someday i hope to be able to photograph anything for my favorite electronic fashion rag.

in honor of my grandmother’s passing, i am listening to flamingo’s radio on pandora radio, currently frank sinatra is spinning, which makes me think of her in the kitchen, singing, “i left my heart in san francisco-” which was her favorite old blue eyes tune-

since i am the graphic design girl in the family, i was given the job of creating her funeral program- which is both an honor and difficult- but it did allow me to scan a bunch of old grandma photographs, see below what a glamour darling she was and you can see where i get my tastes!

in the world of flickr, motionid inspires me daily- in which this week i photographed christopher salon with nothing but my 50mm lens and available light!

and in daydream photography land, check out canon’s new creation, EOS Canon 50D, which someday will be mine.

i am so ecstatic for future photographic projects, including a new photo shoot with my old friends the agent ribbons girls, who contacted me again and are currently on tour in the UK, in which i hope they can meet the darling loulou-

my honey is on a creative roll and drew this adorable mustache graphic, in which we went and designed 4X6 postcards, i can’t wait to see them!

i miss my grandma, but i am happy that she can be in peace now, and i like to imagine death is like the end of the movie, “the big fish” and she can be young again, somewhere beautiful with my grandfather and all their friends, dancing to swing music, smoking a cigarette and wearing high heels. i will always love you grandma, you influenced me so much, every day when i get dressed i look at a photo i have of you as a young woman and try to emulate your style- thank you for giving me a love for all things classic and pretty.

i hope everyone is enjoying their monday off and being productive, i am living in photo edit land, i have the hair salon shoot to finish, a wedding i photographed last weekend to look at, go go girls to do final tweaks to, and a jazz singer’s album design to finish, busy lady! (but that is how i like it) looking forward to a week of beginnings and new clarity. it’s time to live and create all these things i dream about.

xo.

songza.com is a really great electronic space where you can search and listen to any song you please!

enjoying my dear friend erica’s music, art inspiration blog, keep feeling fascination,” which she named after a human league song!

i have decided my summer look is going to be 1940s black dahlia inspired and i want to wear things like this amazing cloche

i am lusting after this betsey johnson hoisery and this watch- her designs move me.

san francisco folk, soul boy and a new favorite face, matty rue’s vocal cords are amazing go listen to his blues-

tamera sent me the link to this helinski shoe designer minna parikka check out number eleven in the collection, hearts and heels, oh gorgeous!

last night i was reminded of the 1977 dario argento film, suspiria which i am going to watch this weekend- he makes murder and blood beautiful.

last weekend i finished the artwork for my friends the red verse- can’t wait to see it printed up!

the lovely hand model is the talented san francisco writer, hayley kaufman, whom i got to spend sunday, drinking wine, petting her black cat biba, and looking at all of her amazing clothes.

life is busy in both my day and night jobs- and i daydream constantly about the next face i want to shoot- but i am happy, at least for the moment-

1. 02, 2. 06, 3. 33, 4. 31, 5. 23, 6. 24, 7. 05, 8. 54, 9. 28

“I love imperfections because they are what makes a thing absolute”
-Courtney Brooke

Name: Courtney Brooke
Occupation: Daydreamer, & burglar of souls.
Location: The hills of Massachusetts

When did you start taking pictures?
When I was about 16. I had come to be friends with a canon AE1 and I just couldn’t put it down

Why do you take pictures?
It’s like a drug, some people use drugs to escape reality I use my art… in them anything is available to me. For that fraction in time this is how the world is… it’s how I want it to be. It’s my medium. I was into doing installation pieces but they take up a lot of room and although they are wonderful because they typically only live on in the minds of those who experience them, an image lasts on.

What is your artistic background?
As an artist, I started wanting to be a painter, and make lovely romantic portraits of people in nature. I grew out of that though when I was about 16 I started taking classes for photography and I had a blast. I never had the hand for painting any way and I found out how to create those portraits with out paint. In the process I also delved into sculpture and then doing installation pieces.

I wanted things to actually exisit in space in time the way I wanted them too. I eventually ended up going to college for art education, which didn’t last long because honestly I hated school. I don’t care too much about what other people are doing in the “world of art” I needed to know what the people in the world of literature, politics, science where doing I needed more then just art, I needed the world. I think that’s important too, to not just be a train on one track but to be universal, be multi-faceted, have some depth to who you are.

Favorites? Artists? Music? Anything that moves you.
.The light at dusk
.Fresh snow and it’s silence
.Heavy drumming
.Super novas
.Physics
.Alchemy
.Hyperboreans
.Grail Quests
.Arthurian legend
.Fairy tales
.Folklore
.Roller-skating
.Glitter
.Days on the lake
.Fractals
.Singing and dancing
.Cuddles
.Woodland adventures
.Vinyl Via Headphones
.Honey
.Red Wing Black Birds
.Bon Fires
.Royal Lipizzaner Stallions
.Gardens
.Hellenistic Egypt
.Tin types
.The Importance of the soul
.Fidus
.Bare feet
.Dandelion and Milkweed seeds in the breeze
.I love imperfections because they are what makes a thing absolute
.Wind in my hair
.Playing with light
.Running with my pack of dogs
.Laying in grass
.The view from heights
.Antlers
.Salty air
.Places I have yet to see
.Unicorns
.History as a story
.Alternate realities
.Fairy rings
.Brass
.Lips
.Men (the beer drinking, grass smoking, denim wearing facial hair growing, big handed, sleezy, boot wearing men)
.Framboise lambic
.The Smell of Autumn,the feel of Winter & the taste of Summer
.Tip toeing
.Found objects
.Tarot
.Eclipses
.Corn on the cob
.Geodes
.Feathers
.The Unexplainable
.Swans
.Fog
.Fireflies
.A Gentle touch

Thats just a snip it of stuff too I also love playboys from the 70’s, Vogue magazine, I love films I would love to make a film someday, a friend of mine keeps talking about doing one together, we will see how that goes. Some of my major inspiration comes from these movies though,The Holy Mountain, Zardoz, The Wicker Man (the original one not the horrible nick cage rip off), Haxan,Freaks, Young Lady Chatterley, Heavy Traffic, Popeye, Vampyres, Godspell, Die, Monster, Die!, The Dunwich Horror, Sleeper, Lust for a Vampire

Bacchanales Sexuelles, Wonderwall, Dracula A.D. 1972, Dragonslayer, Blow Up, Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, The Shiver of the Vampires, Caligula, Dune, Return to Oz, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Fire and Ice, Barak, .Altered States, Barbarella, Picnic at Hanging Rock, Suspiria, Alegro non Troppo, Alice, Cabaret, Photographing fairies-

Describe your personal style-
I still don’t feel like i have a style I just know what i like and i go after it. I like warm light, I like long eyelashes, I like tall grass… I have no clue honestly.

Do you shoot film or digital? Both?
Digital these days, people always assume I shoot film, and I did for a long time. I ran out of space is what happened I moved into an old barn and i just don’t have the area for all that gear… and being digital was like a new hurdle to overcome. I think digital goes bad when the person doing it has never stepped foot in a dark room or has no concept of color theory.

What is your feeling on inspiration and art? How do you start a project? I realized recently that I use the word “inspiration” far too much- So I’ve been trying to think of other words to describe how I’m feeling-
Sometimes a project is no more then me being bored. Other times it’s from me spending to much time in the sun daydreaming. I often drive around and I will see a lovely landscape or a well lit alley and say now that would be amazing if this charachter was in it, and then I place that character there and off I go. I like to create little stories.

What do you see yourself doing in the future? What about current trends? How do you feel about club photography and the plethora of “photographers”?
The future.. I don’t think to much about it.

Curent trends I am not a trendy gal in fact I ussualy can’t stand them. I find myself out of the loop most of the time any way.

Club photography…. please no. I don’t like clubs, I don’t like the colors, I don’t like the music, everything about it is my polar opposite.

the “plethora” just because you happen to have a camera does not make you an artist.. there can be a million people out there calling them selves “photographers” and fine let them be that. I don’t see myself as one anyway I made a concious discision years ago to be an artist, there is a huge differnce too, so sure they are out there thinking that because they have a poloroid they are making art, most of the time they are just documenting life as it passes them by, in my opinion real art is when you see real life, say “yeah thats great but I know just the thing to make better” I am just not interested in reality, it bores me.

Any advice to aspiring photographers-
Know what you LOVE, study it, learn everything you possibly can from it and then make it your own.

This woman is amazing, check out more of her work here and read our collaborative article (CB shot the photos, I compiled the interview) about our friend hae from Lullie Vintage in the latest issue of N.E.E.T. magazine!

in my 9-5 world we are deep in holiday wonderland, so i have been more than a busy design doll- but i have not forgotten about you, electronic darlings-

photo by parker day

i have recently found myself meeting and working with some really talented san francisco musicians. currently my ears can’t stop listening to veil veil vanish, all six songs on their album just flow together like one long beautiful storybook.

last week i designed a poster for a small san francisco independent label, tricycle records and my friend alex’s band, the red verse, who soon will be releasing a new piece of musical art. i am excited for this event.

jessica-m is just an amazing artist and inspires me every day, italian vogue is my new favorite eye candy, a friend showed me that the cure greatest hits dvd has SECRET videos, including this one, which is one of my favorite cure videos ever- robert smith, palm trees, polar bears, and snow?  love.

i decided to invest love in san francisco, i think it needs me. the sun has been shining, the moon full, i have been wearing little scarves, designing, plotting photo shoots, wearing high heels, dancing, meeting new fantastic faces, and being happy.  how are you?

this sesame street film on how crayons are made is nostalgic and beautiful to me.

courtney brooke’s photgraphy for summer lullie vintage are full of color and beautiful; i am so inspired to shoot with film again!

the art and design of chris ryan

for against, which is a really amazing post punk band from nebraska- i have not been able to stop listening to their song, “autocrat”-

my photographer friend duck who recently moved from san francisco to new york and has a new portfolio site, check out his clean, pretty work-

my bloody valentine is coming to san francisco in september!

fashion photography by julie pike i am especially inspired by the image of a girl holding a bunny mask.

brocade home has a really inspiring design and art blog look at it daily for eye candies! this post did it for me- that photography style is gorgeous-

naked on the vague is a dark, pop duo from australia

being spontaneous, dancing by myself and being ok with that, wearing a new pair of my favorite nude fishnets, playing with a puppy puggle, enjoyment at my day job, tartine bakery morning buns, and moving forward-