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Gregory Crewdson is by far one of our favorite photographers. He doesn't so much take photos, but instead creates them from the ground up. According to NPR, Crewdson likes his photos to evoke a feeling of being somewhat undone - it is up to the viewer to imagine what comes before and after the single moment that has been captured within the broader narrative arc that has been constructed. Beauty is of the utmost importance to Crewdson's photos, he says, but after that comes feelings of anxiety, isolation, and fear that are essential to his work. Absolutely spot on, we think. 

Images via Looks Like Good Design

To read more about Gregory Crewdson on NPR, click here.

One of our favorite blogs, sand & ice cream, led us to these stunning photos by Maia Fiore from her collection "Sleep Elevations". To view more of Maia's work, visit her website, www.maiafiore.com.

All images via Maia Fiore's website via sand & ice cream blog

This week we're inspired by the branding materials for jewelry line Guy & Max by the Proud Creative studio in London. They totally stole our favorite font (Gotham) that we use for a lot of our own branding, but we're willing to let it slide because it looks so good with their brand. We're loving the photography and business cards, but it's the storefront that really does it for us. The awning is beveled to look like a diamond - subtle, but it really adds dimension. The addition of the photography in the window (a collaboration between Guy & Max and English photographer Jason Tozer) gives it the finishing touch of perfection. Good work, guys.

Images via Proud Creative via September Industry

This week we're loving a new discovery: BHLDN by Urban Outfitters Inc. (www.bhldn.com). It's basically Anthropologie for weddings and other special occasions, so obviously we're obsessed. Here's how the company describes it: 

"BHLDN offers brides, party goers, and party throwers an inspired alternative for life's most anticipated milestones. Catering to a small coterie of smart, creative women and focused on personalization, BHLDN goes beyond the wedding dress — bringing together inspiration, community, and a compelling, original product assortment."

Launched in February 2011, BHLDN is still really new, but we like what we see! So far, only one physical store exists, and it's in Houston. But more are coming soon (we think Los Angeles is an obvious choice!)

We love the look they've created for their brand. The bride they cater to is obviously not your typical bride - she's eclectic, creative, and non-conformist. 

BHLDN creates moodboards to give brides inspiration - we pulled two of our favorites (above). The photography throughout the whole site is really strong. It's similar to Anthropologie, but it's a little more artistic.

We couldn't resist - here are a few of our favorites!

All images via BHLDN

Bravo, W. You totally got us on this one. Flipping through the November 2011 issue of W, we were surprised (and a little horrified) by a few of the ads we saw. The almost completely nude model for "La Femme" perfume was a little offending, the "Pizzazz Collection" with a Toddlers and Tiaras-esque beauty queen (maybe 6 years old) was unbelievable, but we drew the line at "Tantrum Intimates", showing not one, but five men posing like dogs with big slap marks on their butt-cheeks. No. Just no. We were so horrified that this brand (whatever it was - we had never heard of it) had gone that far for an ad, so we hopped on Google. Searching "Tantrum Intimates" brought us to an article on the W Magazine website explaining that the ads were completely fake - shot by photographer Steven Meisel starring a "who's who" of today's pop culture. Touche, W. Touche. (And take another look at the La Femme perfume ad - notice anything strange? We didn't either. That woman, Carmen Carrera, is actually a man. Holy wow!)

All  images via W Magazine

Photographer Anne-Laure House sees illuminated windows at night as living pictures. Her Pictures of Intimacy series includes windows in New York City, Paris, Amesterdam, Ile De Re (France), and our favorite, Prague (below). Anne writes: 

"At nightfall, the windows of the flats that are lit up attract more attention than the façade of the buildings that frame them. Lit interiors become real tableaux vivants. The interior takes precedence over the exterior, and we can glimpse moments of people’s intimate lives. I am not actually interested in their intimacy as such, but rather by the space itself – the warmth of a particular light, the twinkling of a Christmas garland or the shimmering glow of a television, the corner of a painting. All these details stir my imagination and inspire my work. When I gaze at these windows, I like to tell myself a story. I capture these intimate moments and build my own structures.” - Anne-Laure House

Image via Wall 30 and Kateoplis

This week we're all about graphic designer Mike McVicar's blog, LTRHD (www.mikemcvicar.com/blog/). McVicar, based out of Brooklyn, also doubles as a musician, and blogs about the things he loves the most, including typography, design, New York City, his travels abroad, music, and his own personal work. According to his website, he named his blog LTRHD (letterhead) because: "I like letters, and words, and words with other words... and letters drawn nicely, and words drawn nicely. It's my job." Well said, Mike. Well said.

We especially like the clean design, bold colors, and layout of the blog. He showcases his love for letterhead and typography very well, and includes a lot of great photos that he's taken of his findings, many with a vintage quality that we love.

See more of Mike McVicar's work on his main website, www.mikemcvicar.com.

After seeing a photograph by artist Julie Blackmon at a client's house, we've become obsessed. Blackmon, who comes from a large family in Missouri, effortlessly captures the timelessness of family dynamics in her photographic series based on her extensive family of nieces, nephews, and her own children. We love how she explores the fantastic moments of every day living and blends the real with the surreal both in artistic style and subject matter. The oil paint like quality of her photographs made a real impression on us, as well as the inherent comedy that shines through in many of the photos, bringing an instant smile to our faces. See more of Julie Blackmon's work at www.julieblackmon.com.

All images via JulieBlackmon.com

Lately we're loving photography by Gentl and Hyers. We came across this beautiful Quinta Essentia spread for Grey Magazine on their Facebook page, and their aesthetic is right on with ours. See more of their work at: Gentl and Hyers Photography Facebook page

The guys who are in charge of "tabletop directing" (shooting photos and commercials for big name food chains) would call it "enhanced" photography and video, not straight up falsification. In a $4 billion industry - yes, that's how much is spent on advertising by restaurants and food conglomerates every year - it's essential to make the food in the ads look perfect, by absolutely any means necessary. Or is it?

Tabletop directors will spend hours or even days trying to perfect exactly the right shot to satisfy a client. In an article by the New York Times, writer David Segal explains the extraordinary measures that are taken to achieve so-called "perfection" in food commercials. Tubes (that look like large needles), sauce injectors, clothes steamers, marbles, glue, acrylic ice cubes, silicone gel, and lard were all mentioned as "necessary" equipment to get that "perfect" shot by industry standards (as seen below).

Personally, we find this all to be a little too much. To us, a little imperfection IS perfection. We prefer food photography that is real and looks real: crumbs, drips, and all. Maybe it's because we're designers, but the imperfections of "real" food photographed in a natural setting (like these photos below by Gentl and Hyers Photography) is much more appealing to us than traditional chain photography and video. Don't get us wrong - we'll go to great lengths to get the shot we need for a client, but as far as food goes: why spend a whole lot of time and money trying to fix something that isn't broken in the first place?