Phen Mas

FashionMusic

“We are all unique and have great gifts of our own to offer others. I think the unfortunate thing is sometimes we don’t see it in ourselves and we wait for someone else to point it out in us, that we are beautiful.” says Phen Mas when I ask him about beauty - and I totally agree to that. The Californian based photographer tells us how he got into photography, what it means to him and what else is important in life to him…

Phen, what does photography mean to you?
- Photography to me is an art form that allows you to express whatever concept, mood, or event you want in the way that you want. The first page of my website is a quote I said about photography as an art form, and I really believe what I said. “I think that the most amazing thing about photography is it’s the truth that tells lies. Everything is a capture, but you make that capture say what you want it to, and that to me gives you the creative expression to call it an art form.”

Has it always been your dream to be a photographer or did you have a plan B too?
- I originally went to college/university to study computer science and mathematics as a double major. I was always interested in art, but never found the right art form for me. After a year of being bored with my studies, I switched over to graphic design, where I learned a lot of interesting things and different genres and styles of art. In that process I took a photography course and it was then I knew what I really wanted to do in life. At that moment I signed up for a course at Brooks Institute for Photography and graduated 3 years later. Studying photography really helped accelerate my career, but it is not necessary for everyone.

You are shooting editorials, celebrities and you are also doing beauty shots. In your eyes – when is someone beautiful?
- I think the moment they come to existence is when someone is beautiful. We are all unique and have great gifts of our own to offer others. I think the unfortunate thing is sometimes we don’t see it in ourselves and we wait for someone else to point it out in us, that we are beautiful. I believe the moment someone really see’s you for you is a great thing that helps us realize how beautiful we are. It is great to surround yourself with great people who believe in you and wish the very best for you. However, you also need to believe in yourself and do what is right for yourself. Then you will realize you were beautiful all along, and no one or nothing makes you less or more beautiful.

Which celebrities have you shot so far? Is there anyone that you really would love to shot?
- So far I have worked with a lot of TV stars, and some movie people the following is a list: Kay Panabaker, Shay Mitchell, Ian Harding, Christian Serratos, Kiowa Gordon, Sarah Hyland, Dan Byrd, Laura Vandervoort, and Blaise Embry. I really would like to do a high end fashion editorial with Shaun White. Honestly I love meeting and working with new people, and would be glad to work with any celebrity that would be down to take some fun new photographs.

What has been your best shooting so far and why?
- This is a hard question to answer, but I would have to say my opening sequence with Blake Gillespie wearing the Phen Mas t- shirts would be the best so far. She is my favorite model in the world, and is always amazing to work with. We just had some fun and just shot on the tennis courts with available light and on camera flash. I really enjoy raw photographs that are not over produced; they provide a realness that I feel can be left out of some photographs. I love my music the same way.

What equipment do you use?
- I am not an equipment snob, I really use everything but my main camera system is Canon. I shoot a lot with the 70-200L F4 lens by Canon and a Canon 40D or Canon 5Dmk2 depending. I use a Nikon D700 with a 105 macro Nikkor lens for portrait/beauty shots, because that is my favorite lens for that type of work. I believe every piece of equipment has its pros and cons and you use your equipment accordingly. I do not use a lot of strobes, but when I do I use either the Hensel Porty Pack or the Profoto 7B, as they are reliable and quality systems.

What or who inspires you in your work and in your private life?
- I really believe in surrounding yourself with talented and supportive people. People who believe in you and want to see you succeed. Many of my friends are my inspiration to keep creating and coming up with new ideas. My grandmother was a painter, and I find her paintings and poems inspirational. Many of my ideas come to me when I am listening to music, hanging with friends, or when I just sit down and brainstorm. Some of the strangest things have inspired me to create new photographs. Today I saw a really interesting motel that was rundown and abandoned, and I storyboarded an entire editorial in my head. I say just be open minded, and the more you create, the more you come up with creative things.

Do you have any role models – any photographers that you really admire?
- OMG so many! Kevin Zacher is a good friend and a role model for me, even though he shoots a total different genre of photography than I do. Some of my favorite photographers are: Albert Watson, Perou, Chris McPherson, Yu Tsai, etc.

What projects are you working on at the moment?
- I have a lot of things going on a lot of them are secret until they come out, but I have two projects in particular I am excited about. One will take me around the world photographing models along the way in interesting locations. The other is a beauty editorial that focuses on a real issue that women all over the world deal with and many are looking for a way out of the situation. I am currently looking for a magazine to run the story idea.

And now some typical C-Heads questions:)

5 things you cannot live without?
- Art
- Family
- Friends
- Creativity
- Dogs
- Music

The best life lesson so far was…?
- You really do not know what you have until it is gone.

The most important thing in life is…?
- Relationships

website: www.phenmas.com

Thanks for your time!
Interview by Sigrun Guggenberger

Simon Baker

Music

“I am very true to myself. When I am sitting in the studio I make music in a very organic way, what comes out comes out on that day, no day is the same. I know not every track is going to be well received though, that’s just life, not everything you make is going to hit the spot…” Simon Baker is a British DJ and producer. His latest album ”Traces” is perfect for the hot temperatures. Finest house and deep beats. C-Heads is pleased to talk with him about “Traces”, Vienna and his inspirations…

First: Big Congratulations on your debut album “Traces” — It turned out really really beautiful! So, how long did it take you to finish this good work?
Thanks a lot, I am really happy it’s finally done! It was made over about one year, but really its all my last 8 years of producing all rolled into one project really. It was a real heart and soul project.

I have just read that you take your inspiration from all kinds of sources whether it be music, people, or subjects around you. What inspires you most?
Mainly music, and but it generally has to be blow away stuff. For example I recently heard a remix by Caribou of VirgoFour, that is the kind of thing that makes me sit up and say WOW! What the f*ck… that is amazing. It has to have everything to really inspire me in a deep way, and that particular track ticks every box. Production, arrangement, groove, it has the lot. It makes me want to make something as good! I am writing this at Sonar, last night I went to the Steve Reich concert here. Music for 18 musicians. That was also truly inspiring. Blew me away actually.

L Train by Simon Baker

The critics for “Traces” are all very positive so far. How important is feedback for you? And do you think critics are important for the development as an artist?
It’s a pretty nerve wracking position to be in, after a year of hard work in the studio, something you have created and put all your heart and soul into, then it goes to the critics for their opinion. I had no idea what people were going to make of the album. The only people who had heard it were close friends and the label obviously. I am really happy it was well received by the press though of course. It means a lot to me personally. I wanted people to respect it for what it was which they did. With my single reviews I don’t take as much notice to be honest. Its one persons opinion. But pretty much all the reviews the album has got so far have been positive, so that means I must be doing something right I hope!

Do you worry, if other people like your work ? or do you concentrate on creating something that you like and that is an honest part of yourself?
Mainly just what I like I suppose, I mean I wouldn’t make music that I didn’t like to please a certain label or just to make some money for example. I am very true to myself. When I am sitting in the studio I make music in a very organic way, what comes out comes out on that day, no day is the same. I know not every track is going to be well received though, that’s just life, not everything you make is going to hit the spot! With me, it often works that the track i think would be the least liked ends up been the most popular! But I try not to worry too much about who its going to please, it’s not a good route to go down when making music in my opinion. Make what you feel. Be true to yourself I say!

Do you have any personal favourite track on your album?
My favourite tracks on the album tracks are “No Pressure”, a soulful collaboration I did with Debukas (a new signing to 2020 with an album out this year) a deep house groover called “Grey Area” which has been remixed by Steve Bug and Burnski & Robert James (which are both amazing!!! Out end of July), and “Someone Like …”which is probably the most musical track on the album and took me the longest to complete and incorporated some of the piano lessons I had been taking at the time.

Yes, you have done two collaborations with singers for vocals. Did you enjoy this collaboration?
As mentioned, he is a new signing to 2020 Vision, his solo debut album is due out soon. Its great! He produced and did all the vocals himself. He’s a real talent.

“I didn’t want to make an album of just dance floor music. I have been there and done that. Making the album was a much more natural process for me..”

The album isn´t just straight club tracks – “Traces” shows the beautiful world of deep house music in all facets. Does it make you happy as well when you hear it?
Yeh I am very happy with the outcome, I took my time over it as I wanted to look back and have something I was really proud of and that represented me and my years in the industry. I didn’t want to make an album of just dance floor music. I have been there and done that.
Making the album was a much more natural process for me. I didn’t have to think about the breakdowns and about how the crowd might react to a certain part of the track. This was more about emotion and writing music in a much more organic way. I am happy with the result.

I have to ask as you about having been to Vienna a few times already- did you enjoy it? Any words on the Vienna party-crowd? ;)
I love coming to Vienna, and I am not just saying this because this is going out in Vienna! Ha…. I genuinely love the city, and the people, I have made some nice friends there. The scene is really good, people know their music. I spent a few days there around xmas 2 years ago. Was a very nice time of the year to take in what the city had to offer also.

The album has just been released- are you taking a break now or are you already working on a new project?
Am straight back in the studio, working every day for new EP’s with labels I work with away from 2020 Vision. I took a break by going to USA for a month on tour (if you can call that a break) But I am back in the studio and working on new projects now.

You travel a lot. Do you enjoy it?
Ups and downs with every job. I got stuck in Dallas airport for 36 hours last month on my own, that wasn’t so enjoyable! but then when I reach some of the destinations I am lucky enough to be invited to and experience new cultures and people , then it makes everything worth while. I have a love hate relationship with airports, but I wouldn’t want to change what I do!

At what moment in your life has it become clear to you that music is a very important part of your life?
Good question, no one has asked me this before. I think it was when I was about 11 years old. I started buying lots of music, and at that time I recorded from the radio on to cassette. (Old school style!) I remember having mix tapes I had made, trying to cut them together by pressing pause at a certain point in the track and then bring in the next track. Djing with tape decks I suppose! Then around 15 I took a bank loan to some turntables. I can remember my mother telling me I was stupid!

What question should I have asked you?
How did my hamster die!

5 things you cannot live without?
Macbook Pro, The internet, Logic Studio, My ears, chili sauce!!

The most important thing in life is..?
Having a fckin blast of course!! :)

Many thanks for your time!
Interview by Christine Guggenberger

next date in Austria: 20.08 Sound Boutique-Osnabrueck-Austria
website: simonbakerdj.com

Thoughts of life

Culture

„Money is the thing, to make somebody do what you want him to do, without striking him dead or rob him, without hurting him. Money is magic.“

A sentence that I have heard in a 3Sat documentary called: „ Der Schein trügt“ by Claus Strigl, and that I couldn´t forget about anymore. And a sentence that made me think a lot. Am I doing things that someone else wants me to do just for money? Unfortunately, yes sometimes. And are we just all slaves, who like hardworking bees and decoyed by money are creating more and more wealth for the „kings“?

Fundamentally money isn´t a bad thing, because at the end of the day it is only a medium of exchange and where so many people live together, there has to a sort of „system“. But the human doesn´t seem to know where the limit is and instead of dialing it down a bit and sharing things fairly, we always strive for more, higher, faster – without consideration of weaker ones, animals and nature. And some people then get rich on the expenses of others and create an imbalance in the world. And the rest of us is just taking part. Because we also want to have a nicer house, a bigger car and a cooler outfit than our neighbour.

Money makes us compete against each other without noticing that many things that we are trying to achieve and that we consider to be right and appropriate, come through the influence of our education and the media. We are being taught to be lone fighters.
Let me tell you a small anecdote out of this documentary:
Indigenous people from a place in Africa had lived the same way for thousands of years. The doors to their houses were always open and people cooked in front of their houses and one would share things with the others. Then there was the moment when suddenly someone brought money into the village and from then on life changed completely. People wouldn´t cook anymore in front of their houses, and you wouldn´t even know anymore what the other one was cooking, as everyone locked their doors now, in order to keep the money safe inside the house.

So money opens doors for us but at the same time it closes others.

According to our society rules the person with more money has also achieved more, has made it to the top and earns more money. But I am really questioning if f.e. a banker works harder, has achieved more in life and really deserves to get more than f.e. a nurse does.

I also found it really interesting to hear that many terms from finance originate from the bible. Sale – from sale of indulgences, Credit from credere- the credence, faith, etc…and according to this documentary money only works because we all believe in it – just like it is with religion. It would be nice, if instead of greed, the faith in a good and fair world would have priority.
To me it is astonishing, that with all our abilities and developments we still haven´t realised the most important things in life. Or maybe we realise them, but most of the time we do not live our life according to them. No matter how much somebody accumulates, nothing can be taken with you after life. And the most important things in life cannot be bought with money anyway „ With money you can buy everything, except meaning. Meaning arises out of relationships. You can buy dependences but no relationships. ( quotation: „Der Schein trügt“)

So you can consider money as a means to an end, or you can let it enslave you, or keep others under and always try to possess more than your neighbour that you have never seen anyway. But at what price?

And how much of our morals do we throw overboard in our daily lives because of money?
Maybe we buy cheap meat, even if we know the animals suffer. Maybe we buy cheap clothes and always something new, even if we know that it is being produced by child labour. Maybe we work for a company that just gets rich at the expenses of others or nature. And we are trying to reassure„ If I don´t do it, someone else will do.“

So how much are we prepared to do for money?
„Money is the thing, to make somebody do what you want him to do…“ Maybe we should all question more, what it is that someone else wants to convince us to do…

Text and Thoughts by Sigrun Guggenberger

Illustration by Meng-Chia Lai
www.mengchialai.com