Daniel D. Moses [photographer & filmmaker] The Blog

New year, new blog

2013-01-09T11:22:00.001Z

Hello there, happy new 2013 to you. After a few years of hosting my blog on Blogger, I have decided to make the move across to Tumblr, so my blog will now be hosted here http://danieldmoses.tumblr.com/ where I will blog about my adventures (such as they are) so as people can live vicariously through my talent (such as it is). See you over there

Captain SKA- US Healthcare Explained

2012-10-16T13:05:00.000+01:00

Last week, I shot the latest Captain SKA music video "US Healthcare Explained" with a warning about a US style healthcare system.

Shana Tova!

2012-09-15T14:51:00.000+01:00

Every Rosh Hashana the Jewish New Year, I send out an e-card to my fellow Semites, Ive been using variations on the same image of an apple covered in honey for the past few years, so wanted to try something different this year. I wanted to show an apple just hitting a bowl of honey with the honey splashing everywhere. This would prove to be a bit more tricky then I thought.

Test inside

Shooting on a tripod facing downwards, I tried an indoors lighting setup with a wooden chair as the background, filled the bowl with water to test out the splash, and dropped the apple in whilst releasing the shutter a couple of times using the remote. Setting the ISO low at 160, Aperture to f/2.8 and shutter to around 2500 enabled me to freeze the splash nicely, but didn't quite have the same impact indoors as it did outdoors where there was more sun (yey for natural light). Using a stone slab as the background gave it a bit more of a textured earthy feel and looked great when warmed up. After a few tries, fully confident that I could lob an apple into a bowl of water at the correct angle (top left, slight curve) I decided to try with the honey. Honey is a thicker liquid then water, and try as I might didn't quite splash back the way that I wanted it to, so I tried watering it down. I don't you know if you've ever tried watering down honey, it doesn't work, the water just sits there on top of the honey like oil would on water. After trying to mix it up a bit and having a few goes with that, it mainly resulted in the water being splashed back more then the honey.

Unprocessed honey tests

Water test processed in Snapseed

Lots to choose from!

Happy with the selection that I had, I moved onto the post processing but decided to do it all on the iPad. Have been enjoying small photography workflows using the iPad in recent weeks, it feels quick, intuitive and natural to use. I was uploading as I went to check the photos on a bigger screen, it handles Nikon's RAW files well and speedily straight from the memory card. Until Apple bring out Aperture for iPad, Snapseed is my weapon of choice it's got a nice UI and is able to grade in exciting ways. My style is usually to use a bit of desaturation and sharpen up/define quite heavily, I felt that a much brighter image was needed which Snapseed does really well. Using the "Selective Adjust" I was able to brighten up the edges of the splash to help me to colour the clear water a bit more yellow in a vague attempt to make it look like honey.... After I punched up the colours and added a frame to it, I sent it over to photoshop on the computer for text based finishes like the year number in the apple. iPad limitations unfortunately include decent text based finishes, batch processing and organisational touches.

Finished card below!

Oliver Reed: Wild Thing

2012-08-01T12:15:00.003+01:00

If you are heading to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year make sure to go and check out "Oliver Reed: Wild Thing" a new one man show starring the always excellent Rob Crouch (Clarkson & Crouch, Movement For Gloom). Saw the previews in London last week and it's an excellent whirlwind hour of actor and hellraiser Oliver Reed as he knocks back a few drinks and shares his incredible life story. It's garnering great reviews from The Guardian and none other then Mark Reed, Oliver Reed's son.

Check out the trailer here. "Oliver Reed: Wild Thing" opens today at the The Gilded Balloon - Teviot from 1st - 27th August 2012 / http://www.olliereedtheplay.co.uk

Olympic Opening Ceremony - wonderfully bonkers and self deprecating

2012-07-30T12:22:00.000+01:00

It probably hasn't escaped your attention that London is very much in the spotlight this year and mainly that the Olympiad has found its way to these shores to take over the summer. I should preface this by saying that like most sports, the Olympics really doesn't get my attention. I do a lot of running too, mainly to the bus stop, for the pleasure I don't get a medal, I get an asthma attack.... That being said, I definitely think its a great thing for London to be hosting and be proud of, especially the athletes who have trained so hard the last few years.

The one thing I do have an interest in though, is the opening ceremony, traditionally a whirligig of spectacle representing the host country's history, traditions and culture. Last time Beijing put on an amazing militaristic show (some of which was CGI) which left our poor efforts of the handover/ closing ceremony to throw up dancing hoodies, David Beckham and inexplicably Leona Lewis and Jimmy Page singing "Whole Lotta Love" atop a big red bus. My sceptical factor for these opening festivities was at fever pitch, with filmmaker and general nice chap Danny Boyle (Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire) at the helm as Creative Director. My scepticisms were laid to rest when his concoction was revealed to the world.

Taking us through several short snippets of Britishness, we had an overarching theme of the green and pleasant lands in a set that was verging Tellytubby land, with real sheep, farmers, an inclusive choir of deaf and blind children singing "Jerusalem". This gave way to the industrial revolution which eventually forged the 5 Olympic rings, in something which had the appearance of a Lord of the Rings climax, with hundreds of workers scaling huge towers led superbly by Kenneth Branagh as a top hatted Isambard Kingdom Brunel. As he mugged his way through proceedings, surveying the scale of change unfurling around him, I give him bonus points for working the word "twangling" in his short quoting of Shakespeare, which is surely the greatest word ever created, must work this into every day speech more.

Comedic highlights included our most famous of gentleman spies 007 popping into Buckingham Palace to escort the Queen (yes, the actual Queen) to a helicopter ride to drop into the Olympic stadium via a Union Jack parachute to which she willingly obliged (no, not the actual Queen) video below. Also the effortlessly funny Rowan Atkinson in full Mr Bean mode showing up the London Symphony Orchestra in a great rendition of Chariots of Fire.

A slightly surreal section celebrating the NHS and Britain's literary output had contributions from Great Ormond Street, JK Rowling, the monsters from Temple Run (im 90% sure), fairytales, many hundreds of Mary Poppins and various terrifying apparitions of literary villains (was that Noel Fielding as the child catcher?!)

Surely our greatest contribution to popular culture, music, was celebrated with an all dancing narrative of yoofs on a night out, framed rather tenuously around the sub theme of media, interactive, social networky gubbins with a house with projections and a cameo from creators of the Internet Sir Tim Berners Lee. However tenuously this hung together, and it wasn't bad, it could all be forgiven as I (and hopefully everyone watching) were reminded of where we really shine in this country. Our musical output basically is second to none, hit after hit after hit of musicians who have influenced everyone in the modern era, it's pointless doing a list because if you want me to spell it out, you really don't know anything about anything!

After the multitude of countries parading around and various comments about whether countries were made up or not, the Olympic flame which had travelled around the country finally came to its new home for the next month via all that is saintly about footballs David Beckham, looking ever so pleased he got to escort it on a Bond style boat on the Thames. Steve Redgrave then took it and did some running with it, then handed it over to some young athletes who took it in turns to do some running with it in a symbolic gesture of passing the torch onto the next generation and stuff. They all had the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron which just looked terrific, designed by designer Thomas Heatherwick, it was made of multiple stalks representing each country which when lit all came together to form one flame. A brilliantly executed piece on all levels.

All in all, I really enjoyed watching this celebration and showcasing of British culture and talent. 100 years ago we lead the world, 100 years later we still lead the world but in a completely different way; culturally, literary, musically and comedically. Well done to Danny Boyle for presenting a series of experimental vignettes (looking at it in filmic terms) that still had the spectacle to fill a stadium and tv screens but seem grounded in the things we take pride in in this country.

To those who levelled the charge at Boyle that it lacked cohesion or something that tied it together, I offer the reason that I've argued before with regards to British film, how on earth do you define "Britishness"? It's so complex and it's not something that can be answered cohesively. We're such an old country, a patchwork of many different facets old and new, perhaps still struggling to find our place in a post colonial world. We are the land of Shakespeare & Peter Pan, The Beatles & The Stones, Blackadder & Monty Python, James Bond & Tea and there is much to be proud of.

Nearly a year ago the east end was set alight with riots, a year on and the same part of London was alight again but this time with the positive glow of the Olympic flame with an opening ceremony that certainly wasn't Beijing. It was wonderfully bonkers, majestic and self deprecating which is the only thing is could be really.

Olderer

2012-07-23T10:00:00.000+01:00

Birthday blog post. I am an older person now.

82 wins Soho Rushes Audience Award

2012-07-20T12:00:00.000+01:00

On Sunday I went to the Soho Rushes Short Film Festival to see the film that I took production stills on last year "82" being screened as part of the festival programme. "82" stars Nick Moran as a disgruntled postman with a dark secret. It's Directed by Callum Macdiarmid and Written by Alexei Slater. Just found out it won the audience award at the festival! Well done to cast and crew!

Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band back in Hyde Park!

2012-07-15T11:51:00.000+01:00

Last night, I once again witnessed the barn storming tour de force that was Bruce Springsteen and the EStreet Band live in Hyde Park once again. It goes without saying that this was another amazing performance, a whirlwind 3 hours of non stop hit after hit after hit, that brought the sun out on what was otherwise a bit of a gloomy day. It began with a stripped down version of "Thunder Road" just Bruce on vocals and Harmonica and Roy Bittan on the keys; only Bruce can open a massive show with a ballad, he had the whole of Hyde Park in the palm of his hands. E-Street were on top form, a few notable members sadly no longer with us or missing (Clarence, Danny, Patti) but I very much liked the new additions to the band, a stonking horn section (every band should have a horn section) and some excellent backing singers. A great selection of songs were performed a lot from the new album "Wrecking Ball" which is just amazing as well as the old ones including Dancing in the Dark, one of my personal favourites (a lucky fan joined Bruce onstage ala Courtney Cox for this one)

This is the 3rd time Ive seen EStreet live and I'm accustomed to the format of the lives shows, so much so that I noticed big changes in this particular gig, for instance the introduction of the band members near the beginning of the set. I felt it had lost something with the band members who loomed so large no longer here, something that was treated respectfully and cathartically, but outweighing it was the energy and freshness that the new elements of the band brought to counter this, notably Clarence Clemmons nephew Jake, who took up the lead Sax for his uncle with energy, humour and star quality matching note for note the big man's solos. E-Street had new life with old magic and it felt glorious.

Joining them onstage were some performers who had great sets earlier on in the day Tom Morello, John Fogerty and surprise guest Paul McCartney. All this talent on the same stage, all these songs hit after hit, the sunshine brought out for a cameo appearance, in this the Jubilympic year for London town, and someone felt it necessary and right to pull the plug on one of the greatest performers we have going right now in the world in one of the greatest cities in the world. As the final song with Paul McCartney (Twist and Shout) continued the sound started to die down, I thought my hearing was going, until everyone realised what had happened, the performers on stage oblivious. Curfew or not, I think people need to use their brains a bit, you have 2 living legends giving a terrific show and value for money, if the organisers have issues with the noise at 10.30 on a Saturday night in central London, then I think a radical rethink in how we feel about our city is required. A shameful decision which I think spreads to a wider issue about how we treat live music in this country.

If you've never been to a Springsteen gig before, you simply haven't lived. I defy anyone to show me any performers who, at 62 can maintain an audience's attention with songs old and new with as much vigour and energy.
This was joyous and life affirming.
Viva E-Street!

The Van Man - Trailer

2012-07-12T09:30:00.000+01:00

If your near London South Bank today check out C-12 Dance Theatre performing their new show "The Van Man" outside the National Theatre 1pm & 6.30pm. Here is a trailer which I cut to give you a flavour of what's in store

The Van Man [trailer] from Daniel D. Moses on Vimeo.

Published in PoV Magazine

2012-07-09T11:35:00.000+01:00

Some of my finest photos from my "Lightbulb Project", documenting Creatives, have been published here in the latest excellent issue of PoV Magazine (p.68). Featuring photos from shoots with Punkture Sluts C-12 DANCE THEATRE Maroon Town Tolis Zavaliaris. Read it online from this 'ere link or download it here at www.povmagazine.co.uk It features some excellent photography, poetry, stories and art from various contributors around the world, around the theme of "Identity".

Open publication - Free publishing - More art

Opening The Shard

2012-07-07T16:03:00.001+01:00

On Thursday the tallest building in Europe opened in London "The Shard". I have spent the last 3 years watching it being built from my office window in Clerkenwell so I ventured down to the best vantage point I could work out which was around St Katherine's Dock in Wapping to do a time-lapse of it. We were promised a spectacular light show, but unfortunately it did just end up looking like a Dalek having a tantrum! Perhaps it was more impressive with music playing (The London Symphony Orchestra were playing at the building). Anyway here's my efforts, with an out of focus light show as I think I knocked the settings before it started....

Opening The Shard from Daniel D. Moses on Vimeo.

Jonathan Clarkson - Actor Showreel

2012-07-04T12:09:00.001+01:00

Another showreel from the DDM factory of dreams for Jonathan Clarkson, (Clarkson & Crouch, Captain SKA, Movement For Gloom). Stalk him on twitter @thejclarkson if you like and see what he's been up to on his Spotlight page

JC Reel V.2 from Daniel D. Moses on Vimeo.

More reels at www.danielmoses.com/showreels

StickEms - Reusable screen cleaners

2012-06-28T11:23:00.002+01:00

Shot this video for Stickems® reusable screen cleaners for your Smartphones, iPads, Laptops, Games Consoles and CD's. Shot at London Alternative Fashion Week with comedian Joe Bor. www.stickems.co.uk

The Lightbulb Project

2012-06-25T18:06:00.000+01:00

I've been visiting a lot of exhibitions lately and been really enjoying viewing photographs the way that they were meant to be viewed: big on a wall. Only here do you really appreciate a photograph, the texture of the print, the subtleties of the subject and study the potential story behind the photograph. I've always wanted to put on an exhibition but never had a body of strong work to display, so I've started a new personal project called "The Lightbulb Project" an ongoing series of portraits of Creatives where I hope to explore process, inspiration, ideas, and collaboration. Why have I called it "The Lightbulb Project"? Tenuous visual link to ideas and stuff.....

I've always been fascinated with creativity, it's a mode of working, a push and pull of ideas and inspiration; a process which is meant to be expressive and outwards looking, but requires a balance of introversion to feed it. I have included strong photos from past shoots mainly from performers and hope to include more new shoots from the worlds of art, music, writing, performance and of course self portraiture.

The idea is that it's a constructed image; created by a collaboration between photographer and artist which they feel gives a reflection of who they are and how creativity is important to their identity. Some of these, like the performers have been taken from ii the midst of a photo or video shoot. 2 new shoots include ones from people behind the scenes, Art Directors' Simon Walker and Beth Robinson who I've worked with a lot, we put together a snapshot of their world steeped in props, paints, fabrics, books, drawings and scary doll heads.

A selection of these including Simon and Beth's are going to be published in July in PoV Magazine so look out for that. I'm interested in hearing from Creatives from all across the board and anyone who has put on an exhibition as I haven't got a clue where to start! In addition to making it even more complicated for myself, I also have a germ of an idea for a film project to accompany this, which I'll write about… when I've actually thought it through!

http://www.danielmoses.com/photo/lightbulb

C12 & Big Dance 2012

2012-06-14T14:46:00.004+01:00

I've been working again with C-12 Dance Theatre to create a set of instructional dance videos for Dance Digital's 'Big Dance 2012'. Here's your chance to participate in a mass public performance in July, watch the introduction and choose one of 3 levels of the dance and then visit www.dancedigital.org.uk to view the tutorial videos with Kimberly Clarke from C-12.

Big Dance 2012: All dances on screen from Daniel D. Moses on Vimeo.

Woody Allen: A Documentary

2012-06-01T20:30:00.000+01:00

Last night, I had a chance to be one of the first in the country to watch the new documentary by filmmaker Roger B Weide about filmmaker, comedian and professional shlemiel legend Woody Allen, courtesy of UK Jewish Film. Famously private Woody took over 20 years to be convinced into doing this documentary and it offered an insight into his work through the years, his process as a writer, interviews with key players in his life over the years through good and turbulent times and a revisiting of some amazing moments in film history that have inspired hundreds of filmmakers and comedians to do what they do. The film shows a rather more congenial character then people generally imagine as he strolls us through his old neighbourhood in Brooklyn, to his beloved Manhattan where he lives now. Footage of him onset reveals his limited direction style and how he favours doing scenes in 1 take. Still writing every single script since the 60s on his old typewriter, shows his consistency in being able to churn out a film a year, tackling the tricky task of rewrites and fixing mistakes by literally cutting and pasting pieces of paper to the manuscript! As a mark of how comprehensive his career has been, the theatrical cut I saw was over 2 hours, (the full film is about 3 and a half hours) This is a treat and a must see for Woody Allen fans.

Published in The New Statesman

2012-05-30T22:42:00.000+01:00

One of my photos of Howard Jacobson and Jonathan Freedland from last year's Jewish Book Week has been published in The New Statesman Magazine in an article about the strength of the British Jewish literary scene.

Photo / © Daniel D. Moses

New Filmmaker 2012 #Showreel!

2012-05-29T09:10:00.000+01:00

Cutting a new showreel is an annual frustrating but cathartic experience. It's a chance to review your work, see what's good, what's not so good, to present to the world mightily and loudly in the vague hope of landing even better projects to work on. There's always too much material, and this year I'm really pleased with the selection of footage to work from; music videos, shorts, comedy, performance, showreels, corporate and charity; it's been a real challenge to cut stuff out, honestly its like killing your children....

Things I've learnt from cutting my new showreel:
- I may have a slight obsession with Trafalgar Square, focus pulls and people running.
- There's a lot of people in conflict and being generally quite silly.
- Additional themes include fire, noirish weirdness, movement and time-lapse...
- And a whole lot of Movement For Gloom as well…

http://vimeo.com/42661045

Taxi To The Runway

2012-05-29T09:00:00.000+01:00

A new video here which I shot and cut for LDTA (Licensed Taxi Drivers Association) for their new "Taxi To The Runway" campaign which highlights the merits of taking a taxi to the airport over public transport. The video can be seen here http://www.ltda.co.uk/video-3/

The Fugitive Futurist

2012-05-28T09:00:00.000+01:00

Recommend watching "A Picture of London", a great documentary about London as an inspiration to image makers. Showcasing London's amazing history throughout the years and the various changes it has been through architecturally since Roman times. Catch it for a few more days on BBC iPlayer. A short film to be featured is this silent film from 1924 by French director Gaston Quiribet offering futuristic visions of London landmarks via a 'magic' camera, envisioning my beloved Trafalgar Square flooded by sea levels.

Venatrack: From Every Angle

2012-05-25T23:14:00.000+01:00

Finished promotional film here for 3D sports analysis company Venatrack, titled "From Every Angle"

Venatrack : From Every Angle from Daniel D. Moses on Vimeo.

"Suspect Number 4" accepted to GLOW Dance Festival

2012-05-11T20:39:00.000+01:00

Just received word that short film I Directed last year for Merce Circus "Suspect Number 4" in collaboration with the always excellent C-12 DANCE THEATRE and East London Dance; has been accepted to the 'GLOW Dance Festival' as part of "Movies on Merce" package of films! Well done to everyone that worked on this, and all the other films. Watch this symphony of chance and intrigue here and read up on the project here

The Van Man

2012-05-06T20:39:00.000+01:00

My travels this week took me to Oundle (near Peterborough) to shoot the premiere of C-12 Dance Theatre's latest show 'The Van Man'. An emotive, high tempo piece "Delivering live, pop-up, explosive dance theatre - from the back of a van……in a powerful exploration of the lonely but wacky world of the courier driver!"

It's a really nice piece of work and one which is being taken to the Edinburgh Fringe this summer. With the threat of rain, this outdoors piece was performed outside in Oundle School to a great reception. More stills coming soon and a trailer.

iPhoneography [week 17]

2012-04-25T14:58:00.001+01:00

Week 17 snapshot of my week, all Instagram. Mainly wet weather, which means awesome reflections on the streets of London town.

More iPhonegraphy here http://www.flickr.com/photos/danieldmoses/sets/72157629679099997/

Mugshots

2012-04-20T20:35:00.000+01:00

Some mugshots of the ubiquitous Ben Bleet of Howling Monkey and Adam Hoyle of DoTank Studios today, whilst experimenting with lighting in the office.