Tag Archives: Photography

Art

Photographer Michael Sanville is simply superb

November 1, 2016 romicortier@yahoo.com 1 Comment

Michael Sanville is without a doubt one of the finest photographers I’ve ever had the pleasure of shooting with.

I first met Michael in the mid 1990’s after moving to Los Angeles. He was part of a larger circle of friends that included actors, artists, writers and producers. If I recall correctly it was my acting teacher Leigh Kilton- Smith, part of the hill posse, who referred me to him. This cast of successful people lived on a hill overlooking Laurel Canyon, which is where Michael still resides to this day.

I’d had several head shots taken while pursuing acting in the 90’s, but the one taken below by Michael, was always my favorite from that period of my life. I’ll never forget showing it to a friend in Seattle who said wow… that’s a very flattering photo. Hmmm, I thought to myself, are you trying to tell me I don’t look that good in person? Who cares if I really look that good in person, or not. It’s all about finding someone who sees us the way we want to be seen, or who can help us see ourselves in a more flattering light. One of the things I’ve come to love about this photo is the smattering of gray that’s just starting to creep into my hair… and maybe I also love my slightly lower hairline.

About a year and a half ago, I decided I needed some new upscale photos of myself to use for press and other projects that I had in the works. I knew Mr. Sanville was the man to make it happen. It seems our world is increasingly image oriented thanks to social media, so if you’re gonna do it, you might as well do it right. You can only do so much with an iphone and silly selfies. It takes a seasoned photographer to know which lense to use, how far away to stand, where to position the lights, and most importantly, the story you’re trying to tell. Additionally, It’s always a treat to visit Michaels hillside home. The environment is peaceful and quiet in a way that’s becoming increasingly hard to find in LA. Taking photos in the studio is such a pleasure as you gaze out at the Hollywood sign in the far off distance, or catch a glimpse of the hawks and ravens as they glide by the balcony at eye level.

Michael was recently written up in VoyageLa.com, which was a great read. His oeuvre has grown from head shots, to include portraiture and fashion photography. If you’re in the market to have superb photos taken I’d highly recommend checking out Michael, he’s one of my favorite people in tinsel town.

VoyageLa Article

www.michaelsanvilleheadshots.com

www.michaelsanville.com

Art

The Nudes of John Tessier aka Jack McCullough

April 15, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com 5 Comments

Model Romi Cortier, Photo John Tessier aka Jack McCullough

This is my third post about the photography of John Tessier aka Jack McCullough. As I said previously, John Tessier was my roommate during the mid 1980’s, as well as a friend and artistic collaborator. The photos that I’m sharing above are from my personal archives.

I spent hundreds of hours working with John over our decade long friendship. Sometimes I worked as the hair and makeup artist, sometimes as an artistic director, and other times as a model. The time we spent in the photo studio shooting nudes was often shared with a female ballet dancer who I’ve written about previously. She was always remarkable in front of the camera, creating elegant poses with her petite yet strong dancers frame. I learned a tremendous amount while watching her work, often times doing my best to recreate her most successful poses during my time in front of the lens. Spending two, three of four hours in front of the camera is much harder and more exhausting than you can ever imagine. And if you’re covered in white or black body paint, as we often were, then you need to be even more vigilant so as not to rub it off onto any of the other surfaces in the studio. Additionally, once a composition has been created in front of the camera, you’ll need to hold if for long periods of time while also looking relaxed. Oh, and don’t forget to exhale so your stomach is as small and flat as possible.

As you may or may not know, John, or Jack McCullough as he’s legally known, was convicted of the kidnapping and murder of Maria Ridulph in September of 2012. He received a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 20 years. On February 13, 2015, the Second District Appellate Court of Illinois issued their response to Jack Daniel McCullough’s appeal of the murder conviction. The court upheld the 2012 murder conviction, but vacated the kidnapping and abduction of an infant charges.

I still feel very conflicted about what has become of my friend who I often thought of as a mentor. We lost touch after I moved to Los Angeles in the early 90’s, but I always thought of him as a pretty good guy. Sometimes I thought he was a bit of an opportunist when it came to dating women, always dating up as it were. But there’s certainly no crime in that. When I became aware of his story during a random google search two years ago, I was stunned, saddened and even a bit bewildered. It’s hard to reconcile the man you know, with the facts that have been presented by the prosecution. His fourth wife’s family still maintains his innocence, and has even contacted me to try and sway my opinion. I believe that when it comes to human nature, people will hide whatever aspects they need to of themselves, to appear as normal as possible. As a friend of mine once said: Only the spoon knows where the bottom of the pot is.

Art

Stephen Wilkes, Day to Night

January 26, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

Photographer Stephen Wilkes exhibition Day to Night at The Peter Fetterman Gallery just closed January 4th 2015. I’d seen his work online and was thrilled to discover it at the Bergamot Station Art Walk December 16th.

Working from a fixed camera angle, Wilkes captures the fleeting moments of humanity and light as time passes. After 15 hours of photographing, and over 1500 images taken, he selects the best moments of the day and night. He states: Using time as my guide, all of these moments are then seamlessly blended into a single photograph, visualizing our conscious journey with time. Photography has historically been defined as a single moment, captured in time. Years ago Wilkes imagined changing time within a single photograph, compressing the best moments of a day and night into a single image. Photographic technology has evolved and allowed his dreams to now become reality.

If you missed this groundbreaking show, you’ll be able to see more of Stephens Wilkes work at the Annenberg Space for Photography. Sink or Swim – Designing for a Sea Change opened December 13, 2014 and will be on view until May 3, 2015. Curated by architecture writer and radio host Frances Anderton and the Annenberg Space for Photography, this newly commissioned show includes work by other photographers such as Iwan Baan, Paula Bronstein, Jonas Bendiksen and Monica Nouwens. The show focuses on the problem of climate change in densely populated coastal regions, with an eye on contemporary design as a means to navigate the changing landscape.

If you’ve never been to the Annenberg Space for Photography, I highly recommend it. It’s an intimate space located in Century City (2000 Avenue of the Stars) that’s also free of charge. Therefore, you have no excuse not to immerse yourself in a little bit of LA’s evolving art scene. This is top tier photography at it’s finest, so grab a friend, grab brunch, and go.

Art

Elena Kalis Photography, my New Obsession

January 3, 2015 romicortier@yahoo.com Leave a comment

The Elena Kalis Photography exhibit at the Duncan Miller Gallery in Bergamot Station is my new Obsession. Titled Ocean Song, the exhibit charts the relationship of mother and daughter in the open ocean off the coast of the Bahamas where they live. With mother as photographer and daughter as model, they’ve co-created surreal and otherworldly images. I’ve seen a lot of underwater photography over the years, but these images take me to a whole new world of tranquility. Innocent. Elegant. Explosive. Haunting. Just some of the words that come to mind when I savor these remarkable photos. I can’t imagine the countless hours these two have spent in the ocean together, not to mention the hours spent choosing and editing the final images.

On Ms. Kalis’s web site, the images are broken down into 3 major galleries, with multiple subheadings. Alice in Waterland, Gallery III, is such a brilliant riff on the classic story of Alice in Wonderland. I look at the images and It’s nearly impossible to understand how she created them, let alone which way is up or down. If you can’t afford a holiday vacation this holiday season, go to her web site, explore her images, turn up the volume, and watch some of the video compilations of her work. The video I’m sharing below makes me think of “O”by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, one of the favorite stage shows I’ve ever had the privilege of seeing. The powerful worlds of water, music and movement come together in a way that taunts me, begging me to return to the bottom of my own pool in my Palm Springs home. When I’m alone there, I’ll spend hours holding my breath, floating in and on the water, or sitting on the bottom of the pool watching the sun filter through the ripples above me. Truly the happiest moments of my life. I suppose that’s why these images of Elena Kalis resonate with me so much. I’m adding her photos to my Christmas wish list.

Show closes January 10, 2015.

www.elenakalisphoto.com

Art

John Tessier aka Jack McCullough: Photographer, Roommate, Killer? Part 2

July 23, 2014 romicortier@yahoo.com 7 Comments

Model Ana, Photo John Tessier, Hair, Make Up & Concept by Romi Cortier

Model Ana, Photo John Tessier, Hair & Make Up by Romi Cortier — Model Ana, Photo John Tessier, Hair & Make Up Romi Cortier (Used for Washington Stylist Magazine Cover)

Model Ana, Photo John Tessier, Hair & Make Up Romi Cortier

This is part 2 of my previous post about my former roommate photographer John Tessier, aka Jack McCullough, who’s been convicted for the murder of Maria Ridulph.

Ana, the model above, was John’s Muse. She was a ballerina with a remarkably thin strong body. She was a tad short for the modeling world at 5’6″, but pursued it along with her acting career. Her dance background gave her an elegance and poise that made her remarkable in front of the camera. She knew where her body was, and how to give John the curves and movement he needed to create his compositions. The three of us created images off and on for nearly a decade. Images that I’ve always been very proud of… until now. Now I see things with a different perspective, a perspective that clearly disturbs me.

When I first met Ana, her hair color was light brown with golden highlights. However, John felt she would look better with darker hair, and to this day, that’s how she wears it. When I’d found the images online of John’s victim, Maria Ridulph, I gasped. Even at age 7 she bore a striking resemblance to Ana, with her porcelain skin and dark eyes and hair. I now see Ana as the grown up version of Maria.

Is this why John was obsessed with photographing Ana over and over again through out the years? Was it truly art we were making, or was it something much deeper and darker. Once I became aware of Maria’s story, and that John had been convicted for her murder, I contacted Ana via facebook and brought it to her attention. Unfortunately, we’ve never actually talked about it, and it makes me wonder if there was a dark side to their relationship that I know nothing about. For Ana’s sake, I hope not. It’s hard to know where I stand in the bigger narrative of John’s life. Did I unknowingly participate in his obsession?

As artistic director of Lewis Fox Salon, I brought many teenage girls from the salon to his studio to be photographed. The models were never left alone with John as a matter of professionalism. Everything was on the up and up, at least on my end. I don’t ever recall any type of inappropriate behavior, but now I’m questioning everything. Even the first image above, with Ana’s hands framing her neck, takes on a whole new meaning. That was the image that John chose from the proof sheet at the very top, not me, not Ana, but John. There were plenty of great images to print… were we unknowingly seeing into the psyche of a killer? I also recall John talking about how much he loved the saturated black against the bright white in his black and white photos. He wasn’t much good with color, but truly excelled in this medium. Maybe the starkness of black and white was how he saw the world, a world with no room for the nuances of grey.

After reading the articles online about his conviction, I contacted the detectives who were responsible for prosecuting John Tessier, aka John McCullough, and gave them my contact information. Reports indicate that they’re still looking at cases of missing women from the areas that John lived in, with hopes of tying him to their disappearances. To answer my own question in the previous post, can monsters also be artists, I simply have to remind myself of Adolf Hitler. It’s so tragic to discover that someone I held in such high esteem, could turn out to be such a flawed and horrible human being.

July 6, 2016…

I just learned that Jack McCullough, aka John Tessier, has been exonerated of all charges in the murder of Maria Ridulph in April of this year.

Where Art Inspires Beauty