Sunday & Wednesday » Ysa Perez

Lately.

Ysa Perez — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 02:24:22 +0000

After what it seems like forever, I recruited the (amazing) help of Eddie + Matt and sat down (for what seemed like 29 hours straight) and finished my website.
www.ysaperez.com

Other things:
I turned 24. I shot for AnOther Magazine recently (whom I was wishing to work with for a while !). I shot LIAM GALLAGHER (THAT Liam) and Dave for GQ.com. Cassie pictures came out. Definitely thought Bridesmaids was good. Finally saw Zoolander a couple minutes ago. I want to adopt a kitten. I try and make time now for personal work (?) Went to my first wedding. GQ has become more nurturing then I thought it would be. I love shooting children lately (for some reason??) My friend Katie and I shot a fashion story for Brooklyn Magazine. TRUE BLOOD SEASON 4 IS BACK. I’m looking for a new apartment in a month (CATS ONLY).

I got back a couple rolls of film the other day including a time capsule. I lost a roll couple months ago at Le Bain and a friend of mine who works there told me the other day “I have it.” I really hated the thought of losing photos and never knowing what they’d look like.

birthday flowers at my desk (thanks P ! )

turning 24 apparently

56 days later.

Ysa Perez — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:59:17 +0000

I’ve accepted the fact that my updates are infrequent and so, 56 days later after my last post about Miami, these are things that have happened since then.

It is summer time, sort of, if it ever stops raining in New York. This month is officially one year at GQ, one year of traveling to Times Square everyday, and one year of working with some amazing people. It also marks one year that I’ve lived in New York after moving back. And in 31 days, I’m turning 24, and it’s weird to say out loud.

I’m not sure where to start, I’m not good at writing, let’s face it — I do pictures. Over the last month or so, I’ve shot a couple things, another feature for Brooklyn Magazine, Cassie for Nylon, a really tiny thing for GQ (but finally, I made it!) and am still carrying my beloved Contax everywhere I go.

Two weeks ago, the photo and art department attended the 46th Annual SPD Awards (my first!) and we won Magazine of The Year which catapulted the night into drunken celebration and lots of bumming of cigarettes. I saw a lot of past colleagues and even several RIT Alumni like Whitney Tressel, Photo Coordinator at Esquire, Justin Solitrin, Creative Director extraordinaire, Ryan Moore, designer at Time, and GQ’s own Jason Sfetko. It was really lovely to see people from college who I believe are really talented and deserve their success.

I’ve never attended an event like that and didn’t know what to expect besides understanding that Wired and The New York Times win a bunch of shit (well deserved though.) But winning the last award, Magazine of The Year was kind of like icing on the fucking cake. I think the night was blurry for everyone involved.

I’ll definitely remember that moment after my time is done at GQ.

Less blah blah, more, pikturs.

GQ Design Director, Fred Woodward

Photo Researcher, Jolanta Bielat & Photo Editor, Justin O'Neill (creeping)

Martin Schoeller

Director of Photography, Dora Somosi & Photo Editor, Carrie Levy

Tim Leong! Art Director at WIRED.

MIA

Ysa Perez — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 18:44:42 +0000

A week or so ago I was in Miami and oh yes, it was the shit. I left the 23rd from Times Square as it was sleeting and couldn’t wait to get the hell out of New York. Although I was stuck in the middle of two people (Delta, it’s 2011 get your shit together and put at tv IN THERE) I was excited to land and use my Contax in non snow weather.

Miami and everyone involved, here’s to you:
(And some others on GQ.com)

Brooklyn Magazine.

Ysa Perez — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:04:42 +0000

I’m extremely happy to introduce Brooklyn Magazine. My friend Crystal Gwyn and her team over at the L Magazine launched this monthly quarterly yesterday and I’d really like to share their hard work, and mine, as I was fortunate enough to be involved with two stories in the inaugural issue.
Crystal and I worked together at NYLON and I’m happy she was able to branch out, freelance, and ultimately start something she is really proud of, I just received a copy today and the publication looks really great, the emphasis is of course on Brooklyn and I was happy to see the type of photographers and illustrators they used.

I’m most pleased with the feature I did on Jeffrey Wright because A) It’s fucking Jeffrey Wright, B) It’s Jeffrey Wright and C) We just featured him in our GQ November Issue so I was really looking forward to meeting him.

I also traveled to Ditmas Park to photograph Jen Mankins, the owner of BIRD who had a really lovely house and some pretty amazing things.

It’s been so nice to not only shoot again but see things in print like they should be seen.
I just survived the week (and a half) from hell, I had the flu real fuckin bad like, death bed bad and I missed a week of work. Today was my first day back and I don’t know if it’s just me being excited to be a person again and not sick, or the dope weather, but I had a “EVERYTHINGS GREAT AND IM SO HAPPY!” day which is super rare since I’m usually pretty pessimistic :s

I think Springtime is getting me excited.

Outtakes:

Point & Shoot — literally.

Ysa Perez — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 05:40:30 +0000

When I was in London staying with Tom I played with his Contax T2 and really fell in love with it. It’s so light, but has such good control with it’s manual functions. I really love the beauty of film but I do not like the weight of cameras anymore. I didn’t care in school, to schlep around a Hasselblad or Mamiya but now I’ve found the last thing I want to do is use carry shit in the city. And I love that fucking thing, but I used it the other day and was just like “Really?” It’s so not practical for New York, and no one wants to pay for my 120 scans (Flextight, I Miss you.) I received a really late (but completely amazing) christmas gift from Tom, and there it was, my own Contax sitting at my desk.- with my name engraved (dudes take NOTES). I finally got a bunch of film back from it and I’m so hooked. Despite it looking very Terry/Nocito/everyfuckingoneelse with flash, it does tremendously well in daylight and almost looks like my 120. I try not to use the flash so much to avoid that played out, but oh-so-good aesthetic — however I had to use it at our Best New Designers of America party.
GQ announces 6 finalists every year that compete as a best new designer — some of these guys I had photographed for the web, so it was really great to see their clothes in person (and worn by incredibly hot guys.) Now, I’m no fashionista, let alone know shit about men’s clothes, but luckily, because of my job, I’ve been exposed to really different things and I appreciate that. Patrik Ervell, who I shot a couple weeks ago, was one of my favorites, but Alexander Wang won. The party was surreal — I took Kanye’s picture and he looked less then thrilled (so dope), had Aziz Ansari tell me to “shoot digital boo” and saw a lot of drunk colleagues, which is always my favorite part. I came a couple hours prior to the show to photograph the models in their before stage and shot during the presentation. Some photos can be seen here on our (NEW!) GQeye.tumblr but here are the rest. Goddamn I love this camera. When I get film back, I get that feeling Like, the happy I fucking… love this shit –… feeling. I’d love to take more on, but I just don’t have the time. I really value learning the opposite end at work, the photo editor/assistant role is a little strange sometimes. I’m not sure if it’s good or bad, but I tend to empathize with the photographers and sometimes I just want to “reveal” my photographer identity but I’m like calm down… the time will come. Yes, I’m a little discouraged I can’t say “photographer” (yet) when people ask me what I do, but I’m learning that it’s perfectly fine to take on other roles until I get there.

I don’t know where to start.

Ysa Perez — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 23:05:24 +0000

These pictures are from whatever I’ve been doing in the last month.
I shot the band The Duke Spirit two weeks ago, went really well. The chick Leila was very sweet, and god knows I love british people (I have Peep Show on loop at my house.)
I’m still on the grind here in Times Square everyday however my role has certainly changed and hiring someone to be the photo assistant has alleviated my work load. It’s not that I necessarily wanted to do less work — I just really wanted to contribute in a real way which was impossible with how busy I was before.
About a month and a half ago I began shooting for our website which I’m extremely happy about. I’m actually able to contribute and interact with different departments a couple days a week while maintaining my loyalty to the photo department when they need assistance.
We have on our website, a style feature called “10 Essentials” which is a dialogue that takes place between the person and the writer on ten items they can’t live without (Yes, essential.)
I was approached with including a portrait to the feature, or instead of having stock images of the items, I would shoot that. I want to say like a mini Selby, but not really. The Selby is a real house tour, an actual profile on that person. This is meant to be more literal — as there already was a structure to the feature.
So far I’ve met some really amazing people, I went to Michael Bruno’s office, kicked it with Waris, died when I saw all the amazing fur (Yeah sorry) that was at J. Mendel’s space and met Alexander Wang last week for like 3 minutes (Still incredible). It’s really exciting to be able to access these type of people because I work at a men’s fashion magazine (I’ve never even see Zoolander) so it’s refreshing in comparison to what I’m used to.

The latest one I did can be seen here, for Gilles Mendel.

Work + Play.

Ysa Perez — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 01:20:16 +0000

It’s been a little over a month since I’ve been back from London, which was around the last time I posted unfortunately.
I shot a couple within the absence, both film and digital and it felt good. I know a lot of you who shoot constantly probably couldn’t fathom not having a camera with you, or not consistently shooting. Working full time really doesn’t help. I do luckily have a job that is flexible with me when I need to leave and shoot but it’s still inconsistent and difficult.. Starting this week I’ll actually be shooting for the 10 Essentials Part of our website. So I’m very looking forward to actually contributing to GQ while still being active within the photo department.
Something for Nylon I did just came out, and I just shot Cut Copy for them last week. I love, them.
I went to Hard a couple weeks ago and took some candids.

Lastly this friday Bronques was filming a video for his Lastnightsparty.tv portion of the website and I came along with some other people and participated. It felt a little strange to do another one when the first one was Bronque’s first as well So long ago. I never get what he’s doing. He just directs and we follow. Now I know why (mostly) all girls get naked for him.

Pictures of everything.

I’m bad at this.

Ysa Perez — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 05:54:16 +0000

Which is a shame because I’m pretty good at the internet, but this here — I’m somewhat bad with keeping up.

I think I know what it is. I don’t shoot as much as I’d like to so I feel like I have nothing to say if I don’t have photographs to accompany them.

I work 40 hours a week and I try to shoot when I can, but what I mean is, whenever I have a free moment I try to think about myself and my work and I have lost focus.
Things have really changed at my job, I went from 3 day a week intern to “We like you enough to pay you until the end of the year.”
I came back from London last week and it was the first time I saw something other then New York City since May and it was fucking great. I showed up to work Wednesday and was asked to reconsider staying past the end of the year. I’m not necessarily sure if it’s me stalling or I genuinely like my job — or a bit of both, but I almost think it’d be premature to leave GQ without fully exploring the possibilities.

Trust me, this isn’t where I thought I’d be after graduation, working at a mens magazine. I thought I’d do the New York thing, waitress somewhere, work at night, try to make work during the day and weekend, and fund that with any shitty jobs that came along the way.
I’m interested to see what will happen in the new year, with my role there. It’s actually exciting because I don’t know what it entails. For the last couple of months I have been the photo assistant to the photo department as well as my boss, the Photo Director of GQ. I have learned so much it’s insane. And it’s been really incredible to hear the process backwards, budgeting, the politics, the hiring of a photographer, the discussion of a photographer’s work — it’s almost like being a fly on the wall. My duties were fairly simple but yet very important — ranging from printing selects, extracting images from FTP, standard messengering, doing research, filing and logging in incoming work and returning it, etc. It’s pretty routine, but if you’re on the path to be a Photo Editor, it’s an amazing position.
I unfortunately didn’t want to go down that road and I expressed my true interests and they hired someone else.

And that’s when I came back from London and was asked what my thoughts were on staying for a while and helping.

I know I’m just stalling on my own career but again I can’t help but think of how else I can contribute there. I know I’m scared, I mean fuck who isn’t? Photography is a lonely job and a lonely place. It’s only natural that I want to keep coming in everyday to an environment with people I not only enjoy but respect immensely.

I’m 23, I haven’t figured it out yet. Sometimes I forgot I’ve been here for 6 months already, I still feel super new, like I haven’t got a grasp on shit yet. But maybe that’s how you feel when you’re 23.

I took it easy in London. I hadn’t had a vacation in 5, 6 months. I didn’t really shoot, I just enjoyed shit. I enjoyed my meal without photographing it on my phone (not as much), I enjoyed the walks without stopping to take out my 4 cameras. I just wanted to enjoy being in fucking London. Like what an amazing place. I just wanted to feel it as much as possible before it was back to 10-6:30 at Times Square everyday.
I love my job, I really do, but sometimes it’s nice to just stop.

I used my friend’s Contax T2 in London, he’s a photographer. Actually. Remember that strobe I broke a year ago? We made friends.

Andrew Garfield

Ysa Perez — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 19:53:17 +0000

My shoot with Andrew just came out this month in NYLON, which I mentioned a little while ago in this post.

There’s a lot of buzz in my office, many have seen The Social Network and think he’s going to do big things, which I think so as well.

I’m happy I was able to witness basically an actor’s career in it’s infancy, pre-fame, pre-buzz and I got to be involved in an intimate shoot. That day made me realize I love not only shooting, but I love portraiture so much. And it also made me realize what I’m ultimately aiming to shoot; actors, music, celebrity, etc. It’s no DeNiro but, it’s something to look forward to.

The photo used came about in a random way, he was playing on the banister while I wasn’t paying attention and I said STOP. I shot 2 frames only (I know, scary I shot film), one his eyes were closed and looked uncomfortable, and this one. I really wanted NYLON to run this one because of the subtlety of the role he’ll eventually take on as Spiderman.

The photo, article and an outtake.

Thank you Staci Child on Grooming and Paolo Nieddu on Styling.

My first NY Fashion week.

Ysa Perez — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 00:33:55 +0000

I’ve never lived in New York for Fashion Week nor had the credibility to really experience it let alone attend. I shot for the Sundance Channel for their launch of Full Frontal Fashion.

However, Roxanne Lowit pretty much was the hero of the day.

Eric and I are in the rain outside Lincoln Center Sunday hoping to get a glimpse of anyone that came by. We even saw Anna Wintour, who I’ve never even see in my own building.

And then we bump into Eric’s boss whom he studio manages, Roxanne Lowit. I’ve been dying to meet her but didn’t think it would happen outside in the rain as we were lurking.

Roxanne basically began backstage photography. Just look her up. You’ll see Kate Moss kissing John Galliano, Pamela Anderson in the backseat of a car exposed, and Naomi Campbell doing just about everything. She’s pretty incredible.

So she looks at us, and quietly gestures to follow her. All of a sudden we’re backstage at Diane Von Furstenberg which needless to say it was pretty fucking amazing.

I did my best among the paparazzi and Eric got amazing HD video — that style of photography is something I’m not used to, it’s so instant and very feisty, but I tried my best amongst the tall male photographers with their fancy flashes and 5D Mark II’s.

Roxanne, thank you.

Most official.

Ysa Perez — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 20:15:38 +0000

I just shot the Fall II lookbook for Married To The Mob which is owned by Leah McSweeney and ran by a team of amazing women.

Last night Leah invited me to a dinner for her recent COLLAB with Burton where they made these dope jackets and even a snowboard. Leah’s got to be the hardest working woman I know, she’s the ill businesswoman and mother of the most adorable three year old. I found out about MOB a couple years ago just looking on the internet one day (surprise) I realized her campaign girls had a lot in common with the shit I was into. Kid Sister, Fafi, Uffie (ahem) and finally one day I was like damn, I would love to shoot for them.

I hit up Leah when I was still in college and just said “Yo I love you” pretty much, but in an articulate manner, I basically just expressed my love for her clothing company, and everything they represented. Most official bitches — literally.

In June when the Uffie album was dropped with the circulating press, I contacted Leah again to show her my most recent work. I then ended up bumping into her at my birthday party where a common friend of ours was djing. Finally we set up a meeting at her office and said “let’s do something together.”

It’s not out, so I can’t say who the campaign girl was, but I’m really excited once it’s out on their blog which is ran by the most clever, witty, articulate 20 year old I’ve ever met, Tabatha McGurr, daughter of the legendary graffiti artist Futura 2000.

Tomorrow I’m shooting the looks for the MOBxBURTON collaboration with Leah’s sister, Sarah McSweeney who’s got to be like the hottest craziest brunette I’ve met in a long time.

special thanks to MACAO for the amazing food last night!

My last day turned into the first.

Ysa Perez — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:18:01 +0000

My last day at GQ was supposed to be this upcoming Wednesday.

Along with interning at NYLON, I did a solid 9-10 months of free work. Granted, I didn’t enter both environments for lucrative results, but I’d say I’ve paid a lot of dues and well, it actually worked out.

Last Thursday I was hired at GQ, to essentially continue my role there, but now it feels very legitimate. It’s been a long three months, the title was intern, but the work had substance. I felt like I was on the same team, like I had a place there.

The position is temporary, just until December 31st for now, but it’s great to know I’ll have some stability up until then which I’ve been craving ever since I got here in May.

The constant moving, the hustle, all that, has been really hard and it’s just an amazing relief.

Eric and I will be moving this week to our house, we finally got a house, I can’t tell you how fucking incredible that feels. I’ve been living in someone else’s room for three months, using someone else’s desk, someone else’s keys. I’m ready for my own shit, my own things, a job, again, this recurring notion of stability and reassurance that I have a roof over my head, I can eat, all that.

Everything sort of intersected at once, it’s come to this weird crossroads — but I’m happy to be here.

Attached is one of the diptychs I shot for Jay Sabatino — his team is still designing the look book so I’m not exactly sure how it’ll be sequenced, but here it is — and my lovely dude Sam Waldman at FORD Models.