plus 4, Worldwide photo shoot turns camera on those often overlooked - CNN |
- Worldwide photo shoot turns camera on those often overlooked - CNN
- WRITER OF JAY-Z'S 'EMPIRE' TRACK IN DISBELIEF: Brooklyn's Angela Hunte ... - EURweb
- He knows if you've been bad or good - Daily Lobo
- Tila Tequila Handed Same Engagement Ring As Fiancee’s Ex - The Gaea Times
- Tiger Woods' lawyers act over nude pictures that don't exist - Daily Mail
| Worldwide photo shoot turns camera on those often overlooked - CNN Posted: 13 Dec 2009 11:42 PM PST New York (CNN) -- Jeremy Cowart is a professional artist in Nashville, Tennessee, who has photographed rock stars such as Sting and Britney Spears. But on Saturday, he turned his lens on people unlikely to be recognized by anyone but family. Cowart staged a one-day, worldwide photo shoot called Help Portrait. "We just want to show people that they are beautiful, that they are valued," Cowart told CNN. Cowart used the Internet months ago to spread his idea: shoot everyday people, especially the disadvantaged, the homeless, people down on their luck and struggling families. He wanted to make them feel special. "I believe in people. I think that people really do want to give back, and photographers especially tend to be very passionate people. When you combine Christmas and serving people, I really believed it would be a no-brainer." Cowart was right. His idea took off like a rocket. Even he was shocked. More than 6,000 volunteers, including photographers, make-up artists, lighting specialists and others pitched in. In more than 24 hours, they logged more than 30,000 portraits and at least that many smiles. The movement sprung up in nearly every state and in almost 60 countries, including China and Australia. Cowart chose December 12, so that people could have their portraits for the holidays. A variety of people were photographed: Homeless people. A woman helped by a community center who wanted to send her photo to her soldier son serving in Iraq. A mother who never thought she'd have her makeup professionally done, let alone pose for cameras under fancy lighting. "Everyone tells me, 'Don't worry. Your special day is coming,' said struggling single mom Amanda Leon. She's helped by a social service organization called Betel International. "I'm going to remember it forever ... and think 'wow, it happened to me." Nicole Jones and Stephanie Miller figured they'd probably never get the chance of a formal photograph, much less be able to afford it. Help Portrait made their dreams and those of thousands of others come true. And they weren't charged a thing. "It's wonderful. It's great,' said Jones. She says she once did time for armed robbery. Her friend Miller is a recovering pill addict. They're grateful to Cowart. "He's ... making people feel great. I feel like a movie star. He's awesome," said Miller. Photographer Abi Litwa never met Cowart, but when she heard about his project, she says she had to help. "I just thought it was brilliant," she said. Litwa organized a shoot with over 30 volunteers at a community center in Queens, New York. Seeing struggling families light up in front of the lens was inspiring. "Just for a moment, they felt really beautiful and thought 'I'm someone special,' " Litwa added. New York photographer Declan Julian edited the digital photos that were printed on a machine donated by Kodak. "People out here care about (these families). And it shows that technology is being used in not just selfish reasons," he added. In Nashville, the Carter family stood in line to take advantage of the offer. They say their youngest son, Barret, has cancer. They can't afford a portrait. They're also uncertain about their future. "We're just thankful for each picture. You never know when it's gonna be the last." Cowart knows he's touching a lot of people. 'It's humbling," he says. "It's like a reminder to me that photography is a very special gift, as cheesy as that sounds." Because of its debut success, Cowart plans to repeat Help Portrait next Christmas. Grandmother Janelle French gave a kiss to her granddaughter in her portrait. "It's all about love." fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger |
| WRITER OF JAY-Z'S 'EMPIRE' TRACK IN DISBELIEF: Brooklyn's Angela Hunte ... - EURweb Posted: 14 Dec 2009 12:04 AM PST
*Singer/songwriter/producer Angela Hunte tells Billboard she is still in shock over the success of "Empire State of Mind," the Jay-Z/Alicia Keys track she wrote and produced with writing partner Jane't "Jnay" Swewll-Ulepic about her Brooklyn hometown.
"I come from the same building where he [Jay-Z] lived, and we knew each other from Brooklyn, but we never worked together. Not in a million years did I think I'd make this hit for him," says Hunte, who actually grew up at "560 State Street," the street address Jay-Z mentions on the track. "I still have no words even for the World Series performance. You get your hopes up with artists but then things happen and the record doesn't make it for whatever reason. But Jay loved the song, it made the album and it sounds crazy." Hunte created the track with Sewell-Ulepic after the two shared their homesick feelings during an overseas trip in February. "My writing partner and I were in London, missing home. Her mother was ill at the time and I was sick that summer, and we were just down," Hunte explains. "We said to ourselves, 'we complain so much about New York -- about the busy streets, about the crowds and the pushing, about the subway system -- but I would trade that for anything right now.' Before we left the hotel that night, we knew we would write a song about our city." The pair decided to send the track to Roc Nation in March hoping that Jay-Z would like it and use it. But no one at the company was feeling it. Fast forward to the summer, when EMI's Jon "Big Jon" Platt heard the track at a BBQ and fell in love with it, realizing "it would be perfect for Jay-Z," says Hunte. Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were hesitant, though, being that they had sent the track for consideration already and were shut down. But when a Notorious B.I.G. figure she kept by the computer fell as they played the track for Platt -- a statue that had never moved before regardless of how loud they've blasted music, according to Hunte -- she realized it was an omen. "We all just looked at each other like, 'if Biggie approves, then, send it to Jay," she says. The next day, Platt sent it to Jay-Z and he "loved it and recorded it that night," Hunte recalls. "We were just so happy he wanted to honor our work and our production. Two female producers/writers and for him as a rapper to take our song -- that's not a combination you see a lot. For him to be so open-minded about it, we just couldn't be any more grateful and thankful." Jay-Z ended up writing all new verses inspired from the original lyrics and leaving Hunte on the hook. But when Hunte and Sewell-Ulepic were asked if they thought someone else would be more appropriate for the chorus, Hunte suggested Alicia Keys. "She's never done a record with him and she also has my same vocal tone. She made the song sound so close to the original. She just nailed it and brought it home. It was a great choice," says Hunte, who studied her craft alongside mentor and producer Salaam Remi before signing a production deal with EMI in 2001. Although Hunte wouldn't reveal many details, she says the original version of "Empire State of Mind" will one day be released . "The original is so powerful it's only a matter of time till you hear it down the line," she says. In the future she hopes to team up with the likes of Sting, Elton John, Miley Cyrus and Corinne Bailey Rae. After signing with EMI, Hunte went to Europe to write for the likes of Ms. Dynamite from the UK, Mis-teeq and British R&B singer Beverly Knight, among others. Her big break came when she penned the track "Do Somethin'" for Britney Spears, which appeared in her "Greatest Hits: My Prerogative" compilation, and was released as the second single off the set. fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger |
| He knows if you've been bad or good - Daily Lobo Posted: 13 Dec 2009 11:49 PM PST It's been a tumultuous year filled with embarrassment, angst and disappointment. With that said, I'd like to clear the air. Though it seems you guys think of me as — in not so many words — a disingenuous, pot-stirring renegade, I hold you all in the highest regard. This is an eternal cat-and-mouse game — the perpetual struggle between public relations management and journalism. The nature of the business dictates that you must do everything possible to protect the University's image. Meanwhile, my job is to work for the public, to voice their concerns and to be a mediator between you and those who harshly criticize your decisions. Unfortunately, somewhere along the way this level of understanding was lost — and we became embroiled in a spat that spilled out onto the local stage. Even individuals who had nothing to do with the Locksley situation chimed in, calling me a "subjective" reporter looking to portray the University in a "negative light." I must admit — that one hurt. Still, I'm willing to get beyond this. And to express my gratitude to you, and to reaffirm the fact that I harbor no disdain for you, I thought it'd be a bury-the-hatchet gesture to buy you all Christmas gifts. I put a great deal of time and thought into purchasing these items. Hopefully you will all enjoy them and put them to good use. To: Paul Krebs To: Helen Gonzales To: President Schmidly To: Shannon Garbiso To: Mike Locksley To: TheRedMenace.com fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger |
| Tila Tequila Handed Same Engagement Ring As Fiancee’s Ex - The Gaea Times Posted: 12 Dec 2009 11:29 PM PST |
| Tiger Woods' lawyers act over nude pictures that don't exist - Daily Mail Posted: 13 Dec 2009 11:35 PM PST By Jason Lewis Tiger Woods has made use of the UK courts to bring a bizarre legal case to prevent publication of nude pictures his lawyers say may not exist. The move was last night being seen as another attempt by foreign celebrities to use British law to censor authors, publishers and journalists around the world. The decision was taken at a secret hearing last week at the request of the disgraced golfer's UK solicitors Schillings, who have acted for a string of celebrity clients in privacy cases.  Tiger Woods with his wife Elin Nordegren. The golfer has been dogged by questions about his personal life in the past fortnight
 The order was imposed by High Court Justice David Eady after it was sought by Schillings, the firm representing Woods in Britain No prior notice of the move was given to the British media, preventing any objection to the ban on publication of what the US media has described as nude photos of the golfer. It comes after it was reported that a US soft porn magazine had been offered naked pictures of Tiger Woods. But his British lawyers deny that any nude photographs exist and suggest that any images in circulation have been doctored. Last night, legal experts described the move, which prevents the media in Britain from reproducing material that could freely be published in America as 'unbelievable'. The injunction was granted by High Court judge Mr Justice Eady amid intense speculation about Woods's extra-marital affairs. On Friday night, the world's top golfer said he was taking an indefinite break from professional golf to tackle problems in his private life. Last night, Schillings' partner Simon Smith, who secured the legal ban, said: 'The purpose of the injunction was to restrain from publication photographic images taken of the client, should any exist, without either his knowledge or consent. 'It follows that if something is taken without his knowledge, then he cannot have any means of telling whether they exist or not.' He defended his decision not to alert the British media to his intention to go to court to give them the opportunity to lodge an objection. 'I did not see a requirement to notify the media in advance. The defendant was not the media, but "John Doe", the person or persons who took, obtained or offered for publication the images,if they exist.'
He said he had secured a similar order on behalf of Britney Spears, preventing the British Press from printing allegations about her stay in a rehab clinic. Mr Smith added: 'I don't regard this as an unusual extension of our laws.' Before the legal moves, an adult on-line magazine said it would publish the images if it could verify they are genuine. A Playgirl magazine spokesman said: 'We were approached by a third party who wanted to know if we were interested. Our lawyers are going over the pictures, the source -- the entire package.' Last night, media lawyer Mark Stephens said: 'This injunction would never have been granted in America. 'It is unbelievable that Tiger Woods's lawyers were able to injunct the UK Press from reporting information here.' Last week's injunction was the latest decision made by Mr Justice Eady, who last year awarded former F1 boss Max Mosley £60,000 damages for invasion of privacy after a newspaper exposed his participation in a sadomasochistic orgy. Share this article:fivefilters.org featured article: Normalising the crime of the century by John Pilger |
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