T-West "Coming Home" Video

Following up on the shoot of T-West's "Coming Home" music video, below is the video!!!

"fury..."

"fury..."
acrylic on canvas
36"x12"

“fury…” this last conscious entry in the emotion series is inspired by Rachmaninov’s Piano Concertos 2 and 4. Very intense…Rich! It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster. Leads you down many roads. The three dots after the word fury refer to what will follow the emotional pinnacle. I purposely didn’t call it “anger” as anger is an emotional build up before… the EXPLOSION! Within minutes, hours a person looks back at what they have done and is likely to feel some regret… but fury is a headspace… you are in it for a while… 5 minutes? 2 weeks? 7 years? Because it is the result of a long term build up. Now this is a Taurus perspective on it all. Fury is the result of harm inflicted on you or someone you care about, fury is the result of someone or a group who have committed an act which has wrong you or your own. It a revenge mindset with all the ups and downs that someone experiences… I will admit, this painting was challenging to paint, considering the impact is has on the viewer… To get the feeling I was going after, I had to put myself in the right headspace… as a wonderful piano teacher once said… you must feel what you create… or else, what you have created will mean nothing to the audience. It was not easy slipping into this vengeful mindset, but it was an exercise I needed to go through… sessions had to end with positive upbeat music to bring me out.

Please, when viewing this painting, only view it with the purpose of allowing you to think and understand… but always finish your sessions with positive positive positive!

Love

Koray (Core-EYE) Salih

Shooting T-West's "Coming Home"

Following on the success of T-West’s “T-Dot State of Mind,” the single that reached the top of the charts on Flow 93.5 FM, T-West is back with his new single “Coming Home” from the album “Maybe It’s Okay.”

It’s been just over a year since we shot the video for “T-Dot State of Mind” and we are excited to be working with West on the video for his new single “Coming Home.” A song which focuses on the joy, love and happiness derived from the words “Coming home” both for the person who says it, and those who await them at home.

While last year’s shoot had us running around in negative a lot degrees, with enough snow on the ground to build a politically correct snowperson, this year we had the luxury of shooting at Studio 207. Yes the four walls and roof was a treat, we’ve never felt so spoiled by heat. While part of the shoot did have us outside on the rooftop, it didn’t keep Sterling from wearing his camo shorts outside. Bold move. Also working with the talented makeup skills of Amanda Wynne was a bonus! A smile on her face, and a willingness to help, even if it fell out of her spectrum of makeup into the spectrum of helping around set. She rocks!!!

What really drew us to this song was the importance of family, home and the love that can be produced by it. As a result, it was very important for us to focus on the true family unit of mother, father and child, and the purity of love. To emphasize this, we worked primarily in a black and white colour pallet, allowing for focus on the message and symbolism of purity around love… and darkness resulting for poor life decisions.

Was it fun on set??? The love and laughter was bountiful… smiles, good music and good fun, most of which is thanks to our young talent. While historically we are used to our star working with us on scheduling, what we quickly discovered with our youngest star was that when it was time for a running party… then it was time for a laughing giggling running party. It did make it interesting to predict the direction of the shoot, but we managed to secure all the shots we were looking for.

Funniest part of the shoot? Trying to get 12 feet of dolly track onto the subway during a subway breakdown.

All in all, we are really excited about the newest addition to the T-West collection, and are excited to share it with you. Keep your eyes peeled for it’s release in March! And for now, click here to see some of the screen captures from the shoot.

Until next time…

Koray Salih and Sterling Pache
Romantic Child Studios

The Union of JOMAR!

The year is wrapping up, and why not end with new beginnings??? It was almost a year to this day that 40 people got on several planes to be part of the union of Jenny and Omar, who would later be called JOMAR…well, at least in my mind.

I have to admit, this was the first wedding I shot, and I was excited!!! Considering they wanted me onboard as their photographer… having only seen pictures on my site. What an honour, nes pas? After I was asked, it took me less than a minute to make a decision in my mind, but a few hours to make a well thought out decision…and it was yes in both cases, I was going to be their wedding photographer in sunny Mexico!

Never having shot a wedding before, it took a fair bit of research… and an investment in a new lens and a new camera. And the bonus? My laptop broke 2 weeks prior to leaving. Nice, eh! I think you can imagine where my Christmas bonus went. Even when we got there this trip had a few tricks up its sleeve. Like what you ask? Within a couple of days of arriving, both Jen and I ended up becoming ill. Did that have an impact on the wedding you ask? Well, while we were both sick on the day of the wedding, it just added a little zest to the day… but what’s a shoot without a little challenge? Fortunately, while it was supposed to storm that day, the sun kept coming through at the right moments during the shoot, to make for some great dramatic lighting effects! Were there tears? Yes! Was there Joy? Yes! Was there Rasputin? But of course! And lots and lots of smiles… and cutting a rug with Grandma.

Koray (Core-EYE) Salih

Steph G - Your Friendly Neighbourhood Baker/Nutritionist

Finally, shooting on a day when it’s nice.. almost too nice. One of the first really hot days of summer… and yes, it came to us on the Labour Day weekend. September.

While most were fulfilling their civic duty to have fun in the sun... we were hard at work on our photo shoot.

On this project I had the pleasure of working with an outstanding team. Makeup by Heather Snowie, Hair Styling by Natalya Vynnyk and the fine handy work of John Dranski, to help set up/breakdown sets....and provide creative input! And, of course, our model Steph G of Sweet Revenge Inc.

The objective of the shoot was to have a little fun styling up our friend Steph, but also secure a shots that would be featured on the new online web magazine www.20-something.ca. A new publication launched by Dayna Boyer.

We wanted to shoot these photos in the 1950’s pinup girl style, a cross between June Cleaver and Betty Page. The look, the expression, and clothing. With hard work, team effort and team input, we ended up with a series of photos found below.

Koray (Core-EYE) Salih 

"..."

Title: “…”
(Expressions Series)
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Siz800e: 3' x 2'

This is the first in the expression series. A series of paintings that are to capture emotions, yes, I am going to go after that thing I love. Emotion.

Does it look like me? I hope so. Initially this painting was not supposed to be me at all. I wanted to work with a friend of a friend, but that seemed to be too complicated… so I decided to use my face as a starter… and to go from there. As I learned from some very important people in my life, start with what you’ve got, and go from there. So, that’s exactly what I’ve done here.

I wish I had words to explain the exact emotion expressed in this painting, it’s definitely subtle. I don’t want to tell you the exact thought “the subject” has in mind. But I will give you a hint, the emotion is a by product of “V for Vendetta… or Valentines”… think about it.

Think about it.

Koray (Core-EYE) Salih

"You'll never know dear... how much I love you..."

 

Title: "You'll never know dear... how much I love you..."
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Size: 3' x 5'

“If I could only tell you what I feel as I fill this painting out, it comes to life with each brush stroke. I know what it must have been like for DaVinci to paint the picture of the Mona Lisa ( I do not claim to make any comparisons to his painting, I merely only claim to sense what he must have felt). Today (Feb 8) I spent 20 minutes staring at the painting, wondering who she would be if she were alive, what her soul would say, would she be pure of heart, not even the essence of malice. For this is the beauty of capturing an expression, a face a person... caught in a moment. I am breathless, for I am not sure I have taken breath while I sit here typing this (Truly, I may be impacted by some of the more dramatic symphony music I listen to while I sit here, but it brings me back to my element). A purer moment a purer thought. Far too long have I slumbered in artistic coma, each nerve ending comes alive with each bristle that comes in contact with the acrylic coated canvas. I am not awake, nor asleep, I am awaking.”

Something I had written several weeks ago while completing my new painting. Friends look at me, look at this painting… they look at me… and make assumptions about it, about why I painted it. I can honestly say, it had to be done. This painting is simple… as you have guessed, it is about love… and talks to the purest form of love. A mother’s love for their child… undying.

I would and could write so much about this painting, but as always I will leave it up to you to interpret. The greatest joy will be to hang it on my wall and know it will be there to give off it’s positive energy. You put love into your work, it will return that love.

Stylistically… Stylistically speaking, my goal was never to have the painting in proportion. When I began, my true intention was to continue moving in a more stylized direction, but with each brush stroke, the natural beauty of this character began to shine through. I mean, before we paint, sometimes we must ask the canvas, “show me what you want to be”… and if you listen with your heart, it will tell you.

Impressions… One of my friends say, “what I like about your paintings is that you are honest with your paintings.“ I truly respect that compliment, and I’ll tell you why… because my life long interest is and has always been expression… and when I create something, I want there to be an expression… and I want that expression, that painting to tell the story, without me having to say a word.

I hope you enjoy looking at this painting as much as I enjoyed creating it!

Oh... the name of the painting... comes from that little song you use to sing.... "You are my sunshine... my only sunshine..."

Love

Koray (Core-EYE) Salih