This has got to be my longest hiatus from the blogging world so far! Imagine, almost a month of disconnect from the blogging world. It’s enough to drive me insane. Not being able to share shit about anything is just so depressing, especially since my blog is one of my very few outlets of letting out stress and other shit. Enough with the crap talk…here goes!
Perhaps one of my more noteworthy accomplishments this month, even for the whole semester, is my interview with fashion and conceptual photographer Niccolo Cosme. Cosme is the brain behind the super successful Project Headshot Clinic, as well as various fashion editorials, and advertisements.
For my final paper for my J111 (Feature Writing) class, I chose to do a profile feature regarding this outstanding photographer and visual artist. Not only was I able to interview him face to face, I was also able to observe him up-close as he works in a photo shoot for Imagine Magazine.
I first heard of him from my orgmate Kea. I had no idea what a big shot Cosme is in the world of photography until Kea told me all about him. I was able to see some of his works before, especially the Maldita ads, and back then I was already impressed with his concepts. But I was more impressed by his creative vision when he talked in a symposium held last month at CMC.
I just hope I did him justice with my article.
Niccolo Cosme through the looking glass: the man behind the lens
Niccolo Cosme’s rise in the world of fashion and conceptual photography is stellar. At the young age of 28 he has already built his name and proved his worth. So observing how he does what he does was like peering through the looking glass.
Niccolo Cosme is not new to the world of films. His father, TV show director and writer Caesar Cosme, gave him his very first camera as a very young kid. Back in college at the De La Salle University-Dasmariñas, he experienced the thrill of photojournalism in covering the second People Power Revolution.
But why hasn’t he continued with photojournalism? The BA Communications graduate simply wanted the freedom which conceptual photography brings. He relishes the creative control which is lost in photojournalism.
But his taste for the odd and eccentric, values which are important in newsworthy photographs was not lost in his quest for fashion and conceptual photography. He always wants his works to have the “what?!” factor. He wants his audience to look back at his work and see it again for its striking twist.
One of his more popular works is an advertising campaign he did for clothing brand Maldita. His challenge came in the form of Cherie Gil, TV and movie actress known for her villainess roles. His striking twist: to present Gil’s softer side despite her strong physical features, and even stronger personality. His “what?!” factor: Cherie holding a grasshopper at her fingertips.
When asked who his dream subject is, he would smilingly say former first lady Imelda Marcos. “Imelda is crazy… and she’s an icon, she’s not safe. Parang may kagat,” he said.
Indeed he has a taste for the dramatic and theatric.
I had the privilege of observing the man behind the lens in a fashion shoot he was doing for Imagine, a biannual style and culture magazine. For its December issue it will feature songs from different bands, and based on these songs different fashion editorials will be portrayed.
He collaborated with stylist and fashion designer Kenneth Chua in developing the concept for the song “Nang Gabing Nanaginip si Marcy na May Nagmamahal sa Kanya” by Ang Bandang Shirley. Cosme’s concept recreates an Alice in Wonderland-like dream world where the song’s characters come alive in colorful fashion garbs courtesy of Chua.
“Yung style niya ng photography may kwento. Yung total package niya hindi lang basta nakatayo. (His style of photography always has a story. His total package is not limited to just models standing.),” said Chua.
During the shoot the photographer does not just take the image. He creates it and makes it his own. He becomes a playwright.
As he adjusts the lights inside the studio, he sees a different world through his camera. Just like the prudent stage director, he prepared a story board to guide him in creating his fantasy world. The physical stage may only show the actors for now, but knowing Niccolo Cosme’s ability, the final show would involve many theatrics in the end.
For Imagine Editor-In-Chief Joyce Fernandez, Niccolo Cosme is a breath of fresh air among the photographers she has worked with. “He has a different sensibility from other photographers. He is more artsy, and I find that very refreshing,” said Fernandez.
Besides honing his skills as a photographer, he has also honed his skills as a visual artist. He edits his works seamlessly to suit the different worlds he creates.
Many of his works may look dark and melancholic as he is inspired by the gothic theme mostly. But some of his creations are also light and surreal.
Having been brought-up in a house near a church in Cavite, it is no wonder why he is fascinated by the Baroque and Renaissance themes.
He enjoys seeing exaggerated movements in his models’ poses. But he is not easily satisfied. His attention to detail is so great that the slightest twitch of the mouth or movement of the dress can make all the difference in his image.
Despite working with Cosme for the first time, model Zach Nelson looks forward to working with him again. He believes the photographer is “very intelligent and very creative.”
For Gilmarie Pacamarran working with Cosme for the first time is exciting as she has heard a lot about him from her fellow models and even from modeling agents. She has seen some of his works and is eager to be part of them.
As much as Cosme likes to create fantasy worlds with his camera, he is still very much in touch with reality.
Project Headshot Clinic is one project he is proud of. What started as a vanity headshot pictorial for various online social networking sites, later turned to an advocacy project which would even reach foreign shores.
His original intent for Project Headshot was to promote individuals through their headshots. But last May he launched the second installment of PH with Project Headshot Clinic – Headshot Clinic One World.
This time his headshots were for a cause: world peace and unity. His “glorified beauty pageant” has the same aim as any beauty pageant, promoting peace by showing every individual’s diverse beauty.
But he took it one step further. Through his project he was able to travel to countries like Australia, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Singapore.
At first it was hard to explain to foreigners what the project was all about, but as it gained popularity, more and more people embraced the idea.
He was also able to promote peace in a different way. In his travels he was able to see the different troubles faced by our neighboring countries. His eyes were opened to the terrors of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.
“When I got back here I was able to share my stories, thankful that we are not experiencing something like that,” he said. He added that it was a good learning experience for him and that “To advocate peace, is to educate people.”
His exposure in the foreign market and strong foundation back home has also merited him one of his more distinct achievements so far.
Just this year an international photography book was published in Germany featuring the various works of photographers from all over the world. Only two Filipinos were included in the book. One was him; the other was Raymond Isaac, another well-known fashion photographer in the country.
Considering the gap between the two of them in terms of age and experience in the industry, it is indeed quite an honor to appear in a book alongside Raymond Isaac.
“If a foreigner looks at the book, it doesn’t say the age or status of the photographer. We actually come up as equals in the book,” said Cosme.
Niccolo Cosme’s stellar rise sees no end just yet. Ten years from now he might dabble in film making he says, but nothing is for certain.
“I don’t look that far ahead. I really don’t know, we just have to wait and see,” he ended.
Whatever his plans may be, it would certainly be interesting to continue looking at Niccolo Cosme through the looking glass, as he creates more wonderlands in the world of conceptual and fashion photography. #
For more about Niccolo Cosme and his works, visit The Head Hunter
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