CONTRIBUTORS:

Lenka Havelkov, Jon Wild, Karolina Trojka, Nikolai

Endegor, Clifford Ho, Alyssia, Samuele Camnasio, Jan
Slavik, Marcin Sokolowski, Ashley Nelson, Dennis Bublin,
Juhani Viitanen, Allison Kufta, Janne Zaph, Leo Barbu,
Achim Herzog, Ismail Schneider, Gilles Simard, Sindy Rose,
Thomas Baumgartner, Hady, Ivan, Dane Vetter, Karolis,
David Argyle, Dihn Phong, Maja Wroska, Andreea Maria
Has, Martin Roskom, Lorena Pimenta, Glenn Brady, Linda
Sayegh, Shana Patry, Ming You Xu, Annie Xu, Charlie
Payne, Mack Gallagher, Mike Kippa, Jon Wild, Stephanie
Weingarten, Markus Storzer, Sandra Pedler

CAPRICE MAGAZINE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2014

VOLUME THREE ISSUE #31

http://www.capricemag.com
SUBMISSIONS:
EMAIL: capricemag@live.ca

CONTENTS /NOVEMBER 2014

STAFF:
Rick De Vries
Sal Balafont
Sandra Pedler
R.J Majer

| publisher
| editor
| creative assistant
| writer

SNAPSHOT
INBRIEF
FEATURED ART
Ming You Xu
Blind Eye Clothing
Mack Gallagher
SUBMISSIONS
Q&A
Markus Storzer
GPS/Rome
REVIEWS

| 04
| 16
| 17
| 25
| 29
| 31
| 37
| 39
| 46
| 47
| 50

All images used with permission

All rights reserved

2012 2014 INFIRNITY MEDIA

CAPRICE MAGAZINE is published 12 times per year

(April/May, May/June, June/July, July/August,
August/September, September/October,
October/November, November/December,
December/January, January/February, February/March,
March/April) online and in print by RICK DE VRIES

CAPRICE MAGAZINE welcomes any and all article or

portfolio submissions for possible publication. Submitted
photos must be accompanied by text pertaining to the
subject of photography. All images must respect the
publishers guidelines, a complete list of which are
available by email at capricemag@live.ca

INSIDE:
BLINDEYE Clothing, Wander, Markus Storzer,
Jon Wild, Ming You Xu, Stephanie Weingarten,
Clifford Ho & more.

SNAP[SHOT]
Gallery compiled by RICK DE VRIES

 L. Havelkov

J. Wild

I graduated with distinction in Photography

in all 16 modules undertaken at Solihull
College in 2012 and I am also the proud
recipient of the Pearson Award for
outstanding student in this field. I briefly
returned to the college to teach part time.
My current photographic interest lies with
the genre of still life and in the creation of the
vanitas style of art made by the Dutch master
painters of the 16th and 17th century. Having
recently moved house, I am currently building
a home studio at my new location where I
hope to expand this body of work further.
- Jon

This picture, I call September was taken in a place

where I really like to hide in the fall. Its close to the
forest and no one lives around, so its the perfect
place to enjoy the last days of summer.
- Karolina

K. Trojka

N. Endegor
This was taken in August when I traveled in Austria. The
Hohenwerfen Castle [in the photo] is 900 years old, and
was rebuilt in the 16th century. It is situated near
Salzburg, on a 150m rock in the middle of the Salzachtal
valley, defending Salzburg from the south direction. The
shot was done from the opposite side of the valley, when
I climbed to an ice cave which is nearby.
- Nikolai

 C. Ho

A.

Id discovered this spider-web on the ivy in

our garden and its owner was just sitting in
the middle and didn't move, so I thought to
myself ' This would be a perfect opportunity
to take a picture'. So I did, one after another.
When my father found out what I was doing,
he wanted to help me by bringing a neutral
background, in this case a white piece of
wood. He shoved it behind the web and
accidentally scared the spider, so it started
crawling towards the next leaf, which is when
this photo was taken. It reminded me of one
of those balance acts you can see in a circus.
It's much more dynamic.
- Alyssia

 S. Camnasio

I took this picture the second time I

was in Berlin, on a bridge on the Spree,
close to the Bone Museum, mostly
because I liked the contrast between
the old buildings linked to the past
generation and the young girl that look
toward a bright future, a contrast that
Berlin knows very well.
- Samuele

 J. Slavik

I was struck by the somewhat dreamy

quality of this landscape at sunset while I was
taking a walk, suddenly feeling an urge to
abandon everything and start anew. That's
what I tried to capture.
- Jan

This was taken during a

diving safari in Egypt.
- Marcin

M. Sokolowski

 A. Nelson

My mind is filled with images that I

can't communicate through words.
Images are a language all their own, so
photography is a natural way to
translate my inner world to the outside.
My desire is to give hope to those who
feel lost, who are about to give up. I
find light in darkness and hope in pain,
then share that with others. I like
leaving my photos up to personal
interpretation, but, to me, this image is
about reaching a point where an
identity is lost. In that moment where
dark and light collide, the transition
between those two places, somewhere
inside our hollow selves we find a sense
of peace. It's about finding hope when
it seems everything is lost. Even though
we can't see the light, the light sees us.
- Ashley

D. Bublin
My Dad got me hooked to photography, especially macros. He
has been a hobby-photographer for as long as I can remember.
We like to hunt all sorts of butterflies, caterpillars, bugs and
other small things when we're on vacation. I took "Harvestman"
just before I went to bed on my birthday on September 1st. I
was literally half asleep already when I got home and saw this
guy sitting at the wall just behind the door. He was very calm,
and didn't care that I took photos of him.
- Dennis

Kelambu Beach J. Viitanen

I shot this when the light was fading in the afternoon,

for my 365 Photography Project.
- Allison

 A. Herzog

J. Zaph

It was taken in NY as the final

destination of my last cruise from
Hamburg (Germany) to NY via
Norway, Faroe, Iceland and
Canada. I'm a simple amateur who
likes taking some pics occasionally
when on a trip. I live in Germany
and like to travel.
- Achim

L. Barbu

I took this during a photo walk with some friends in

Lacul Srat - or "Salt Lake" in english - near Braila city,
in Romania. The weather was more than perfect for
April and the wind was blowing slowly that day. As
you see it has a slightly abstract touch even though
the subject is a lake scene. That's because I tend to
look for the abstract in my subjects as it allows me to
be more creative in playing with shapes, textures,
reflections, structures. I prefer the square format and
the urban environment.
- Leo

I. Schneider

 G. Simard

I am an avid amateur photographer based in

Edmonton, Alberta and I was born in one of
the most French portion of the country:
Saguenay, Qubec. I am involved in the local
photography club, some Facebook groups and
as contributor in DeviantArt. I began my
interest in digital photography at the end of
the 90s and more seriously a couple of years
later. I dont have a specific field of interest
when it is time to take pictures, but
landscapes, architecture, travel and old farms
buildings are my main subjects.
- Gilles
S. Rose

T. Baumgartner
I took this on a sunny Saturday in August amidst the vineyards of Grinzing,
which are close to my home in Vienna, Austria. Grinzing is famous for its
Heurigen (Austrian wine taverns), and attracts many tourists including celebrities
such as presidents and movie stars, some of whom get a grapevine named after
them. The equipment I used consisted of my good old Canon EOS 1000D, a
Tamron 11-18 mm lens (which I find great for landscape photography), a Hoya
R72 infrared filter, and a Manfrotto 190XPROB tripod. Since this camera was not
modified for IR photography (hot mirror removal), a rather long exposure of 30 s
at an ISO setting of 100 was necessary in spite of the wide aperture of F/5. While
the motion blur introduced by wind during long exposures of landscapes can be
annoying at times, I like the effect it had on the clouds and on the grass in the
foreground in this shot. My workflow involved HDR processing (Photomatix), the
frequently used red/blue channel swap, color and gradation curve adjustments,
some dodging and burning, and sharpening. When I work with infrared
photography, I always try to convey surreal, otherworldly impressions to the
viewer, because I find this particular quality of IR images very appealing. I hope I
succeeded with this photograph.
- Thomas

 H.

Toby and I were on our usual walk through the woods, where I often like to bring my camera. I
saw this mushroom, the first big one I found this year, and just had to take a photo. Toby was very
interested in the mushroom, I think he loved the smell, but wasn't sure if he could eat it. He was
always shooting me looks as if he wanted me to tell him what he should do.
- Hady

I.

It was taken in a field near where I live, in

Bratislava, and comes from a set of photos
shot over half an hour. I had to be quick in
choosing the best position because the field is
quite large and the sun was going down fast,
but I wanted to get that "sunset mood" feel. It
was fun, but Ive never been bitten by so
many mosquitoes in so short a time.
- Ivan

 D. Vetter

 K.

Photography is a hobby of mine that I

sometimes do on my free time, I am by
no means a professional photographer.
I took this photo while I was travelling
Europe on my own by hitchhiking. Such
a trip has been my dream for a long
time. The photo was taken in the very
South of France, near a little town called
Llo. I took the photograph while I was
hiking in the Pyrenees, just before the
sunset.
- Karolis

D. Argyle

I recently moved from Ontario to eastern

Newfoundland and during the first few days,
while I was exploring my new surroundings, I
noticed all of the trees seemed to have this
growing on it the locals call it Old Mans
Beard, but I think it looks like seaweed!
- David

INBRIEF Direct From The Publishers Desk

/

My, oh my, how time flies eh? Just like it was yesterday, I can
remember sitting on an orange chair at my favourite gelato bar
in Rome, sipping a cappuccino, while I watched all those crazy
Italians park their smart cars one on top of the other.
Now, Im sitting here in my office, worrying about deadlines!
This month is jam-packed with all sorts of goodies, from our
interview with guitarist Mack Gallagher from the band Wander,
to Blind Eye Clothing entrepreneur Charlie Payne, our review of
AlleyWays new record Thank God Its Doomsday, to staff
members bitching about the state of modern horror movies,
and more, well, really, where do we start? Hmmm.
To be honest, theres just so much here to talk about in such a
limited amount of space, it is hard to choose, but well start with
Clifford Ho.
One of our SNAP[SHOT] contributors, Clifford Ho, is from
Malaysia, is self-taught, and while taking an eight year break
between stints in hobbyist photography, explains that as an artenthusiast, photography was just a natural progression for him.
One of my personal favourites from his collection, is entitled
Oil and is part of a series using test-tubes in abstract
photography and can be viewed online at
http://destroth.deviantart.com/ along with the rest. Thanks go
out to Clifford for being a part of this months contents.

We live in exciting times, dont we?

Technology races, and we struggle to keep up. Definitions of
what used to be, are replaced with what is, and the old things
bring nostalgia to even the new generations that barely even
know what theyre missing!
It always impresses me how people push boundaries with their
art, their photography, their music. It makes me feel good to
know I am alive in this day and age.
Sure, there are things that can be scary and my heart goes out
to the people dealing with them, especially in Africa and Ottawa,
but if you ignore the mainstream medias attempts at
scaremongering, you can find simple joys still exist and no, the
world isnt going to end in a few days so breathe a sigh of
relief, put down that bag of canned food and go do something
fun and entertaining instead.
Theres more to life than fear and paranoia.
Dont take my word for it though, just remember what Dale said
back in season one of The Walking Dead about coming into a
persons life and making a difference. Or what Hershel said
about being able to come back from the darkness. Yes, were all
huge fans of TWD here in the office, if you didnt know.but
that doesnt mean the messages in the show arent applicable to
real life too.
Take a chance, take a dare. For myself, I was a little worried
about travelling to Europe in the wake of all the recent hysteria
surrounding Ebola, but you know what? Im glad I did. If I hadnt,
I never would have walked through the miles and miles of ruins
that is ancient Pompeii, nor would I have found myself in the
same underground chamber as the disciples, Peter and Paul,
were buried in.
I never would have gone to see the Pope on a Sunday, nor
would I have had the courage to approach the Vatican Guard for
a photo-op (I got closer than most people).

Oil C. Ho

Perhaps the biggest, best part of that whole trip though, that I
would have missed out on, would have been sitting in the quiet
of the Pantheon, digging that diamond ring out of my pocket,
looking Sandra in the eyes and asking her in whispered tones, if
shed marry me. That wouldnt have happened if Id let my fear
of what-might-be overwhelm me.

I love the idea of this piece, and all the others, and probably
because my tastes are so obscure I could easily see this
hanging as a print on one of my walls. Who knows, maybe Ill
even ask him one of these days! Heh.

Instead, I took a chance and I explored. I visited. I bawled like a

baby when I saw the most famous piece of art in all of the
Vatican, Michelangelos Creation Of Adam and now Im
engaged.
-Rick / Publisher, Caprice Magazine

Featured Art.

 D. Phong

I learned how to draw by myself,

and one day I just created my own
drawing style - black and white plus
one highlight color. I have played
[the game] League of legends for two
years now and Akali, one of the
characters, is my favorite champion.
- Dihn

 M. Wroska

I am from Cluj-Napoca, Romania,

22 years old and I graduated Fine
Arts, Painting from University of Art
and Design. This piece is
watercolour and pencil on
watercolour Fabriano 300 g/m2
cold press paper, with dimensions
of 50x70. It was inspired by events
in my life, waiting for love to come,
etc. The subject is lonely, the
loneliness melts her soul (dripping
effect), and the butterflies
represent happiness and are in
contrast to her state of mind.
Waiting
A.M Has

- Andreea

[Next page] M. Roskom

 L. Pimenta

I am an amateur self-taught artist girl of 16

years-old. I am brazilian and love the capacity
of humans to express their feelings; I always
liked to draw for fun since my early
childhood, but just recently I started to train
seriously and, the more I train, the more I
realise how much I can still improve. I'm still
very new to digital art, I started to learn about
it in the beginning of this year.
- Lorena

G. Brady

It is a small piece, 8 x 10 inches, painted in

acrylics on stretched canvas... I have just
started teaching my neighbor to paint and I
thought it would be helpful to show her some
traditional art that wasn't too difficult to
accomplish. If you've checked out my gallery
here on DA you will see that this is not the
type of painting I would normally do. I'm
more into wildlife, pets, fantasy and portraits.
So last weekend I decided to see if I could still
paint a straightforward scenery piece and I
ended up doing 2 in one day. I started
drawing when I was 5. That's when I decided I
loved horses and just needed to learn how to
draw them. I drew them constantly and
pestered my parents for a horse, which I
didn't get...No room you see... I continued to
draw mostly horses for many years. I have no
formal artistic training, just high school,
where I learned the basics and was asked by
the teacher on occasion, to help some of the
other students. Here I started drawing
portraits and learning to paint with Oils,
which I really don't like much even though I
was reasonably good with them. I moved on
to painting watercolors in my 20's, acrylics in
my 30's and finally colored pencils in my 40's.
When my children were younger I didn't paint
or draw much. No time. But when they got
older I began again. I started doing fantasy
work, fairies, unicorns and the like. My oldest
daughter introduced me to [online art
community] DA a few years ago, and I've
been pretty artsy since. I love it there and
have made many new friends.
- Linda

I simply like to keep random pieces of watercolor paper

around my desk and doodle on them whenever I have
some kind of inspiration
- Shana
S. Patry

Harvest Moon L. Sayegh

http://www.zazzle.ca/forestcreations

Embroidery Girl M.Y Xu

The subject of the painting is a young adolescent female who is inside her
home busy sewing detailed and intricate original embroidery designs on a
head-piece. According to Xu, it is very common and a fundamental cultural
norm for Mongolian girls to be able to sew and make clothing completely
from scratch. Usually girls like the one portrayed in this painting dedicate any
free time they have during the day to work on traditional costume dresses
(like the one worn by the subject). These traditional clothing are
painstakingly difficult to make as it takes an enormous amount of time,
effort, and patience but well worth it by the its ready to worn on special
occasions such as festivals. The biggest and most significant festival in which
all Mongolians wear traditional costumes is known as Na Da Mu. Equivalent
to Chinese New Year or Christmas, the festival is a highly respected social
event in the Mongolian culture and tradition so much that all relatives
(distant and extended) of families and friends would travel great distances
(even kilometres away since many are nomadic) to gather together and
celebrate. Majority of the festival activities take place outdoors such as selling
goods at the market, food stands, games, dance and wrestling (a very
popular event). Other special occasions worth putting on their traditional
clothing for are weddings or the celebration of an elders birthday. Here, the
young female is working on a traditional hat (headwear) to go with her
costume; having recently started, she is sewing embroideries like flowers and
patterns. These traditional costumes are very expensive as one can observe
from the silk materials used to the buttons made of precious gems and
stonesetc. Therefore many Mongolians make their own costumes by hand
including belts, hats, and various accessories. In order to capture the essence
of the traditional culture and lifestyle of a typical Mongolian woman, Xu
adjusted the tone and colour of the entire painting while dimming the
background slightly for the purpose of bringing out the subject. All his
paintings are drawn from the photos he had taken from his trips to Mongolia
and this painting was no exception. The girl in the photo was wearing
sneakers and so in order to maintain the traditional atmosphere, Xu replaced
the sneakers with boots. In addition, he added some texture using acrylic in
the background. This painting took approximately over one month but no
longer than two to complete.
- Ming You Xu

[Editors Note] The above was transcribed by Annie, daughter of M.Y Xu, founder and president of K-RAVE

Q&A with Ming You Xu

transcribed by Annie Yue Xu / edited by Rick De Vries

Could you give me a brief history of

yourself? Where did you come from,
how did you get where you are today?
[Ming You Xu] Looking back, one of my earliest memories of

drawing was back when I was around 5 years old and

around that time, my parents were too busy working and
so I was often babysat by our neighbour. He was on a sick
leave from work and he had some chalk in which he
offered to me to use. That very first time when I picked up
the chalk to draw - it was a magical and mystical
experience for me. Making various shapes and drawing
simple objects on the rough ground was an enjoyable
activity for me and I began to develop a passion for
drawing. I was born in 1963, in Tianjin, China, and I
pursued my passion for art for throughout my elementary
and high school years. Around grade three, I began to
attend Shao Nian Gong (an after school institute teaching
various extra-curricular activities from music, performance
arts to fine arts) for art classes. In grade five I began to
participate in various childrens art competition in China at
local, regional and national levels. Towards the two last
years of high school, I spent most of my time not on school
work but on painting and drawing in order to prepare
myself for Tianjins Institution of Fine Arts. Fortunately, I
was accepted and I studied print there. I also studied
various other mediums such as oil, water-colour, sculpture,
illustrating...etc. During his last year of study, Xu went to
Mongolia to find inspiration for his graduation project. This
was the turning point of his art career because the impact
of the Mongolian culture and its breathtaking landscapes
fuelled his imagination, becoming a source of inspiration.
During my university years, I also made some memorable
accomplishments. One of them was a lithograph,
Returning, I created as an entry for the National Youth Art
Exhibition and I came in third. This work was collected by
the National Art Gallery of China.
After graduation in 1986, I worked as an art editor at yang
Liu Qing Art Press until 1995. During those years I didnt
have the time to produce much artwork and so I decided to
go back to pursuing my goal as a professional artist and
make it a successful career. To do that, I wanted to go to a
foreign country but at that time leaving the country wasnt
easy and often need connections and a good reason. One
of the teachers working at an art school recommended to
me to go Singapore and she had connections to help me
with the paperwork. So the period prior to my departure
for Singapore, I studied English.

Once in Singapore, I continued to study English while I

worked a part-time job to help support myself. Later, a
friend recommended me to set up a portrait stand at a
popular tourist spot. There, I worked under Top Fresh Art
Gallery where I received art commissions. Eventually, I
returned to China by 1997 where I was reunited with my
wife and three year old daughter.
In 2000, I immigrated to Canada with my wife and
daughter. I participated in the Toronto Outdoor Art
Exhibition in 2001 for the first time and since then, my
artworks have been displayed in Westmount Art Gallery in
Toronto.

Could you tell me about your

inspirations? Who has motivated you
along the way in your career?
[Ming You Xu] My neighbor in my early childhood provided

me with the most basic tool for art: chalk. I consider him as
the first person to push me towards the art path. Since
then my passion for art flourished. Then the teachers from
Shao Nian Gong helped me improve my skills in art and my
dedication to pursue this passion was a strong foundation
for my journey. My wife was and still is a very important
person in the success of my career. My first big decision to
go to Singapore couldnt have happened without my wifes
support and her hard work in raising my newborn daughter
alone while I went abroad. Especially after coming to
Canada, she was always there to support and help me with
my career while taking care of the children. To help
support my career and lessen my burden, my wife worked
in our convenience store while I spent the day painting full
time. Even my daughter was a big help. Judy Smith is
another extremely important person that I consider a
major influence in my art career. She helped make my
name more known and provided me with various
opportunities to expand my career and publicity. My clients
also provided support for my career by recommending me
to their friends and family. My decision to go to Singapore
was a choice that turned out to have a positive impact: I
had the chance to improve my skills but also gain
experience in living abroad and learning English. This
knowledge helped me when I came to Canada.
The livelihood of my family is a strong motivation for me to
work harder and improve my skills to become a better
painter. Time for me is an extremely valuable asset,
because I felt especially during those ten years working
as an art editor and publishing books - I was falling behind
in terms of productivity in skills improvement. While I was
busy doing my job, others were painting and sharpening
their skills. I had a burning desire to paint and catch up for
lost time - to catch up to everyone else. So I decided to

leave for Singapore and return to pursuing art as a

profession. As previously mentioned, going to Mongolia
had a huge impact on my inspiration for painting - hence
my continuous series of Mongolian paintings. The vast blue
skies and breathtaking fields in the Mongolian grasslands
were a permanent image in my mind. I was emotionally
driven to capture its soul and essence with every stroke of
my brush.

Do you have any interesting stories

you would like to share whether they
are about your art or when you are
working on a specific piece?
[Ming You Xu] Back when I was still in China, there was one

time when I was working on this oil painting of a sheep.

My daughter was around four years old at the time and
she snuck into my studio out of curiosity and picked up one
of the brushes and painted a stroke on that painting. I
caught her running out of the room right after her
mischievous act. It was quite adorable and I wasnt very
mad since fortunately, the stroke she did happened to be
the right colour and in the right place.

How does your studio and

surroundings influence your work?
[Ming You Xu] The location and amount of sunlight I get are

very important factors when I paint. I have had various

different surroundings and locations for my studio and
what works the best for me is a spot where its nice and
quiet, with a nice amount of sunlight throughout the day
and a comfortable climate. Ive painted in a room before
where it was damp and cold and it not only was an
uncomfortable condition to work in, but the dampness
affected the drying time for my paintings.

What inspires your work?

[Ming You Xu] The Mongolian culture and lifestyle are the

main source of inspiration for my oil paintings. I visit

Mongolia every few years to refuel my ideas and
inspirations: there I often get a clear view of the hard
working farmers, shepherds young and old, the children
helping their parents harvest food and complete daily
chores. The traditional way of life is such a natural and
unique aspect that it comes across as something rare in
the urban and western societies. Collecting hay, picking
mushrooms, milking the cows, and spinning wool into
strings - are all activities done traditionally by the
Mongolians. Seeing them trying to get the most out of
each day to support their families and to survive, touches
me emotionally and in turn becomes a source of

motivation for me to channel all I that see, feel and think

into a painting.

What kinds of things do you keep in

your studio for inspiration?
[Ming You Xu] Photo albums of all the pictures I took from

trips to Mongolian - they are what I use as reference for all

my paintings.

What impresses you about other

artists work and who impresses you
today?
[Ming You Xu] Andrew Wyth is the artist I am currently most

impressed with today. His techniques and brush strokes

are simply bursting with accuracy and precision. What
impresses me most about another artists work is their
ability to capture the small details perfectly without losing
control of the entire composition and balance of the
overall picture.

When you are not working and

creating, where can people find you?
Do you have another job?
[Ming You Xu] Now, I am at home painting and taking care

of the kids though my wife does most of that. During the

non-winter seasons, you would find me working in the
garden (planting, shaping the plants, watering...etc). I also
enjoy fishing (though Im not too experienced) and do so
whenever an opportunity arises. Other times, I play sports
with my son and daughter badminton, tennisetc. In the
winter, I shovel snow and occasionally build a snowman
with my kids. In general, when Im not painting, I am
spending time with my family or on leisure hobbies. In
terms of other jobs, I am currently working as an art
teacher on Saturdays in an arts school.

Where is the one place people would

never find you?
[Ming You Xu] Social/entertainment places such as bars,

casino, concertsetc

What advice would you give people

who are just starting to explore your
craft?
[Ming You Xu] Train and sharpen the basic skills and

techniques such as shading, proportions..etc. Practice,

practice and practice by sketching still life. Its receptive
but you have to drill yourself to do still-life every day and

build a very strong foundation. Its the best way to improve

and become a better artist. Another important factor is to
develop an aesthetic eye.

What differentiates you from other

artists?
[Ming You Xu] A major difference is the theme I focus on:

Mongolian. I am extremely detail oriented and I am a

perfectionist not just as an artist but also in life. Everything
I do, I seek to achieve perfection or as close as possible to it
at least. I am never satisfied with my skills and abilities
because I constantly try to find ways to do it better and
paint better.

Do you have a favourite thing to work

with or that inspires your work?
[Ming You Xu] I typically enjoy listening to classical piano

tunes while I paint such as Fur Elise, Moonlight

Sonata...etc.

Could you describe your technique?

[Ming You Xu] Usually because the canvas are rough on

their surface, I cover the entire canvas with white acrylic to

create a smoother surface to paint on. Then I paint over a
warm tone with acrylic as the base after which I sketch out
the subject and backgrounds with a pencil. I use oil paint in
brown tones to paint the general contrasting values where
light and dark areas meet. After this has dried, I then start
painting with colours.

What, in your opinion, is the hardest

thing about your art or craft?
[Ming You Xu] Controlling the overall composition of the

entire painting: when I start focusing on the details of my

painting such as the print patterns of the clothes I tend to
lose control of the overall picture.

Could you describe the process from

how you get your idea(s) until it
appears as a finished piece.

to complete the aesthetic of the painting overall.

Mountains, clouds and streams are also common elements
I like to use to elevate the impact of the painting. Once my
design for the painting is complete, I prepare the canvas by
applying a layer of white acrylic over the surface to make it
smoother and easier to paint the tiny details. The second
step is to apply a warm tone as the base and then dry. The
third step is to sketch out the elements and subjects of the
painting with a pencil and then painting the light and dark
values with shades of brown. The final step is painting with
color. My painting technique uses the traditional method, I
paint the large areas with the general colors and shades
and go over the painting three times - first the general
colors and tones in larger brush strokes, then somewhat
more detailed colors and lines, and finally I move into
painting the details and adding more values and tones.

What other types of art and materials

have you explored and what is your
favorite medium?
[Ming You Xu] I have explored a rich variety of different

mediums of art throughout my professional career. I have

done murals for clients in the past, sculpture, engravings,
watercolor, acrylic and pastel. The most common medium I
use would be pastel and oil since most of my commissions
are done in those. I have use a fair amount of acrylic but I
dont like the fact that they dry so quickly. Ideally, I prefer
oil since they are comfortable to use and take a longer
time to dry. Also because I can express the mood and
overall feel of the subject of the painting more effectively
with oil in a simple and vigorous manner.

Is there something or someone who

inspired you to start or did you just
pick up and away you went?
[Ming You Xu] Not that I can think of, I remember falling in

love with drawing when I started drawing on the floor with

a piece of chalk. And the more I drew the more I was
intrigued and found it an enjoyable hobby. It was later on,
when I learned more about art and was more educated
about it, I began admiring the paintings of the great
masters like Andrew Wyth.

[Ming You Xu] First I look through my reference photos and

photo albums I took from my trips to Mongolia and see

which subjects intrigues me or interests me. After choosing
my subject, I then move on designing the foreground and
background depending on how I want the composition of
the painting to look like. I usually look through photos of
some animals such as cows and horses or sheeps...etc to
use in the backgrounds. They must complement the theme
or subject of the painting. I also like to add some
traditional huts, wagons, anything traditionally authentic

Do you prefer to do commissions or

mostly what inspires you in life?
[Ming You Xu] I enjoy doing both: commissions are a more

direct source of income for my career and so I prioritize

that over my leisure paintings and creative pieces. I will
work on those when I am not busy with a commission or

juggle between the two with one waiting to dry while I

work on the other.

What is your favourite thing to do on a

Friday night, on the weekend, et
cetera?
[Ming You Xu] I enjoy doing activities with my family and

spending time with them. I usually drive my wife and kids

to a large shopping mall and we would shop all day on
weekends. I watch movies with the kids at home and play
badminton and tennis as well. I tend my garden whenever I
have a free time or take a break from painting. I usually
surf the net like reading news online and checking stocks
during free times. And I also enjoy playing the piano during
my leisure time as well.

Do you have a favourite food or wine?

[Ming You Xu] I dont particularly have a specific food I

prefer above all others. I enjoy all kinds of food: often I eat
Chinese food and western food. I dont have a specific
brand or name but I typically enjoy drinking red wine. I am
not a wine expert or have much knowledge in
differentiating tastes but I enjoy drinking red wine and ice
wine nonetheless.

Ming You Xu, in profile

EXHIBITIONS, AWARDS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

1985: Participated in the National Youth Art Exhibition
and came in third with the lithograph work, Returning,
which was collected by the National Art Gallery of China.
1996: Was interviewed live by Singapore National TV in
the Hello! Good Morning show.
1997: Was interviewed at Top Fresh Art Gallery by
Singapore National TV.
2000: Participated in Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition.
2006: Was interviewed and featured along with my
artworks in one of Canadas top art magazines, Magazine
Art. The article was featured in both English and French.
2011: Full page feature in the general arts magazine,
Arabella.
2012: Won top ten honorable mention in the annual
portrait painting competition organized by the famous
American magazine, International Artist.

[Editors Note] We would like to thank Annie Xu for taking the

initiative and corresponding with us on behalf of her father, and
to thank Mr. Xu himself, for answering the questions and
allowing us the opportunity to showcase his art.

CHARLIE PAYNE
An interview with the founder of BLINDEYE Clothing
Story by Sal Balafont

Representing both a first for us here at Caprice Magazine, as well as a change of

pace, BLINDEYE Clothing, which is run by college student Charlie Payne and based
in the United Kingdom, was founded in 2013. This is the first time we have included
apparel within our pages, but because of the relatively young age (Charlie is 17) and
entrepreneurial spirit of BLINDEYE founder, we were intrigued.
Payne, who is from Brighton, says BLINDEYE is more than just a clothing company.
I wanted to make it something that could be marketed across a whole universe of platforms, he explains. Hopefully, in such a way as to
make a real change in this world for the better.
He insists that while much of his product is logo oriented at the moment, in the future, it will be less so. I really want to make the
message clear of the brand, he adds. I dont want BLINDEYE to turn into another meaningless clothing brand, because, although I put a
message behind these designs, I want there to be some kind of comical value as well. I dont have a design team, so sometimes my time
can be very limited in some areas of the company.
Payne says he has always been into design, but during the early stages of high school never really considered himself to be creative or
talented. I was never particularly academic at anything during my school career, he admits. I was lost and I could never seem to find
my calling for anything. College rolled around and because my grades were so bad I had to re-take a year. I spent the majority of that year
feeling sorry for myself. But around September last year, I finally found my calling, and BLINDEYE Clothing is the result. I questioned
myself as to what my interests were and turned all of these things into something that I would enjoy working at.
He says that at first it was little more than a hobby, teaching himself all of the skills that might prove necessary.

I spent hours upon hours messing around in PhotoShop, and researching

programming, he muses. Eventually, I got to a point where I was satisfied with
something that I had created.
The name BLINDEYE is based on the idea that as a community and a society we turn a blind-eye to many topics, Payne says. I like to
think of BLINDEYE as an uprising or a revolution for society to make changes that need to be made. I make street wear about topics that
need to be taken to the streets.
He says that seeing people enjoy something that he has created and poured his heart and soul into is phenomenal.
For me, just looking on my social media's and seeing a happy customer or seeing an awesome comment from someone, it makes my
day, he explains. That is the whole reason I do this, spreading positivity. It just restores my faith in the universe and that anything is
possible, so if your reading this and you want to be a Dragon, BE A FUCKING DRAGON!
While founded in 2013, Payne admits that much of his earlier work was not up to his own personal standards and so he decided to go back
to the drawing board and rework his brand. Earlier in October, BLINDEYE was relaunched. Some of my designs so far have just been
really simple ones [logos, etc] but my personal favourite by far has to be the BLIND UK Baseball tee, he adds.
I actually gain a lot of inspiration from the leaders in the street wear industry at the moment, Payne asserts.
When he isnt working on designs or marketing his products, Payne says his free time consists of trying to find a balance between school
(hes studying graphic design and journalism) and hobbies like skating, surfing and snowboarding.
If youre interested in what hes got in store, reach out to him via email at blindeyeclothing@live.co.uk

WANDER
What do you get when you mix video
games, writers block and a medley of
interests? An album full of amazing
songs and a deal with
We Are Triumphant, thats what!

Photos by Natalie Ahearn

Transcribed by Rick De Vries

All photography by Natalie Ahearn

On a whim one day I turned on the twitter

app on my phone and was shocked to see all
of the bands, artists and photographers who
had sent me messages. Sifting through it all
took a fair bit of time and while I began to
feel like I was being undulated by the same
sound with a myriad different names it was
worth it because of Wander. Now, so you
understand, I like all forms of music, but one
of my favourite vocalists said once in an
interview, I like singers and bands that stand
out, that do different things to catch my
attention and I agree 100 per cent with that.
I think it takes talent to rhyme a hundred
words together in thirty seconds, to string
along twenty words in one breath, to make it
all coherent.but I also like to hear different
instruments take the lead sometimes. Give
me a good bass line over a finger-picking
intro any day.
With Wander - if youve a chance, listen to their debut through We Are
Triumphant on YouTube I get everything I asked for.
Recently I had a chance to send the guys a few questions through email by way
of guitarist Mack Gallagher, and what follows is the result.

Can you give me some information on

the band's origins? Where are all of
you from? Where did you all go to
school? What led to you all being part
of this group, who plays what and
where did the name "Wander" come
from?
[Jack] The band started as nothing more than me writing

some demos in Garageband. I was in a posthardcore/metal band with Andy at the time, and as I was
finishing writing our second EP I started having writers
block. So I started writing some songs in genres that were
out of my normal comfort zone. Im from Frederick, MD
and Im a student at Hood College. I play guitar. The story
of our band name is quite random. After trying (and
failing) to come up with a good name, I remember my

girlfriend texted me, what about wanderer? I was sitting

in my basement when she texted me, playing Shadow of
the Colossus (a PS3 game). The main character of that
game is named Wander, and I thought it was a pretty cool
coincidence so I suggested it to the guys and they liked it.
[Brett] I live in a town called Sykesville, Maryland. I went to
Century High School and did some community college
afterwards. Jack and Andy have been in bands together in
the past. All of us used to be in metal bands and hung
around the same scene, but never really knew one another
(with the exception of Andy and Jack). I was Facebook
friends with Jack and Andy but we never really talked in
person. I had made a joke status about drumming on
Facebook one day and Jack had sent me a message telling
me about a project he was working on that wasnt so
much on the heavy side and how he needed a drummer for
it.
[Andy] I am from Frederick. Went to college in Baltimore for
a little then omega for audio engineering. I've known Jack
for a long time and we've been playing music together for
years, which eventually led to forming this group.
[Mack] I play guitar. Ive moved around a lot, but I
currently live in West Virginia and go attend Shepherd
University. I ended up in Wander from running into Zach
(old bassist) on campus randomly one night and straight
up asked if they were looking for a guitarist.

Could you relate some of the best

moments or highlights you have ha
d over the length of your career an
d how they've affected the path th
at you're on?
[Jack] The biggest highlight of my career was listening to

our completed album for the first time. I had been writing
the songs and sitting on that material for almost two
years; it was just amazing hearing it all come to fruition.
[Mack] I have a lot of memories from my previous
bands, but I think the biggest highlight has been joinin
g Wander in general. Its hard to find a group of guys
that truly work well together. Just kidding, biggest
highlight was when Andy accidentally punched me in
the butt when we played at Rams Head.
[Andy] All of my favorite moments have been on stage.
Jack and I have played some unforgettable shows together
and separately as we both matured as musicians. It all lead
up to us joining up with Brett and Mack, which was a huge
of course, a huge highlight for the both of us.
[Brett] Ive always wanted to do music. Ive been in bands
where I thought theyd go somewhere and Id fall
completely flat on my face from it. Bands break up and you

move on eventually, but trying to start a band again and

become passionate about music again is a little scary.
Before Wander formed I was contemplating if I even
wanted to continue to pursue music. However, ever since
being in Wander the best moments of music in
my life so far have been from this band. I actually feel truly
comfortable with the people I play with. I didnt have that
feeling with other bands I was in, and I didnt believe in the
music 100%. Good things have come with this band and I
believe in Wander. Just having people back up our music
and say that our music has helped them in any sort of
positive way is a wonderful feeling and I hope this band
will continue to do that.

What are some of the highlights from

the last year or so? Could you
explain?
[Jack] Getting the CD completed and out to the public was

the biggest highlight for sure, but signing to We Are

Triumphant was a close second. Theyve helped us reach
new fans and open doors to new opportunities; Im really
excited to see what we can accomplish together.
[Mack] Over the past year Ive been able to play some
unforgettable shows with these dudes, playing at Rams
Head being a huge one. I think just in general the response
from the fans, and all the exposure weve gotten has been
a huge highlight for all of us. And signing with WAT of
course.
[Brett] Before we got signed to We Are Triumphant, we
had pressed our own cds and released our debut album
ourselves online and we also did a cd release show for it,
which was a blast. The feedback for our album was
fantastic and then it led to our signing with We Are
Triumphant.
[Andy] Releasing our album, signing with our label, playing
at Rams Head and Ottobar, shooting our music video are
some that come to mind.

What are some of your favourite songs

from any of your albums to perform
live and why?
[Jack] My favorite to play live is Thanks a Lot. That was

the first song we released as a band and therefor the

crowd knows it better than any other song. The guitar riff
in the bridge section of the songs seems to get everyone
really hyped.
[Brett] We all enjoy the songs we play for different
reasons; every song has a different feel so our favorites will

vary. Departure, Counterpart and Coping are probably my

favorites. Departure and Counterpart are catchy, fun and
simple songs and Counterpart seems to be our most loved
song I think. Coping starts off fun, and catchy, but changes
towards the end and has such an impactful ending which
makes it a great last song in our set and also on our album.
The end of that song brings out a lot of emotion and its
probably my favorite song off the album in general.
[Andy] To be perfectly honest I couldn't choose. I enjoy
playing them all.
[Mack] Some of my favorites are Brave, Coping, and
Thanks a Lot. But I really do like playing all of our songs
live. People go nuts at our shows, and its so fun feeding off
that energy and seeing people truly happy in the crowd.

Can you tell me about the differences,

however subtle, between your demos,
your earlier records and your newest?
What was the recording for this album
like, who did you work with and why?
What were you hoping to accomplish
with this recording and do you feel
you've reached your goal? Could you
explain?
[Jack] The songs started out as one track, terribly out of

time files in my Garageband program on my computer. I

just use the program to generate ideas and simple song
structures, mostly so I dont forget them later. From there I
would go over to Andys and record another simple demo,
but we would program drums to get a better picture of
what we wanted the song to sound like. Brett would take
the programmed drums that Andy and I wrote and build
upon them. Andy recorded, mixed and mastered the entire
CD himself; he really did an amazing job. Its super
awesome having one of your best friends as your audio
engineer because you dont have to worry about hurting
each others feelings.
[Andy] This was our first record as Wander, and we
recorded it on our own. However, the demos would
originate from Jack via guitar tracks. They would slowly
progress from there as we fleshed out the songs, each
contributing our own parts until we were ready to record
the album. We recorded everything at my house and I
spent a long time mixing and mastering the album and
sharing the progress with the rest of the band for input.
We were trying to capture the ideas in our mind as
accurately as possible, and create something unique and
personal. I absolutely feel that we've reached that goal.

How has your sound as a band

changed or matured since your
formation?
[Andy] We've become more comfortable playing together

and grown as musicians over the time we've been a band.

Some might say we've been finding our sound.
[Mack] We all have some similar influences, and then some
crazy different ones. We definitely dont want our sound to
become stale, so well continue to mature and mix things
up.
[Jack] The four of us have become really close and matured
together. That feeling will definitely be reflected in our
future material.

Wander is fun for me. Im extremely passionate about this

band so its my biggest hobby. Other than that I love
movies a lot and Im always on the hunt for a great movie
to watch. I listen to all genres of music, and almost any
genre inspires me to some degree, I could listen to death
metal then the next song I listen to could be a country
song. My music taste is pretty scattered.
[Andy] I like to create other kinds music and work with
other musicians. That and video games.
[Mack] I like to work-out, and ski. Aside from that, I just
listen to music all the time and try to go to shows when I
can.

Are any of you sports fans? What

about movies?
[Jack] Im a big Boston Red Sox fan and a fan of baseball in

Are there different styles or sounds

you try to incorporate from record to
record and do you do this for
yourselves or do you keep fan opinions
in mind?
[Jack] The reason I love our band name so much is because

it is the perfect way to describe our sound. We incorporate

so many different music elements and soundscapes; its as
if we are wandering away from traditional genres. When
I was writing this album I pretty much ignored writing for a
specific sound; I just wrote what I wrote and that was it. I
wrote these songs for myself because this was the music
Ive always wanted to hear; Im just glad that other people
like the songs as much as I do.
[Brett] Its hard to say how weve evolved or matured at
this moment when it feels like we just started this band
yesterday.
[Mack] Weve only done this one album so its hard to say.
I think whatever we do next will capture a little bit of all of
our individual influences, while still having all the elements
people love about the SelfTitled Album.

How about hobbies - what do you

guys like to do for fun? What kinds of
music inspire each of you?
[Jack] I am big into exercising. I like to put a new CD on my

iPod, go on an 8 mile run and just get lost in the music.

[Brett] Music is a hobby of mine, playing shows and playing
music is some of the most fun I ever have in my life.
Wander is such a blast to play in and anything involving

general. I also watch a lot of football and college

basketball during their respective seasons. Movies are
pretty cool too.
[Brett] Im not a big sports fan but Im obsessed with
movies. If Im not talking about music Im most likely
talking about movies. Im passionate about talking about
movies and giving my opinions on it whether I love or hate
a certain movie, also I try to convince people to see a
certain movie if I think its worth their time. Id love to have
a channel on youtube of just me reviewing movies. Maybe
thatll happen sometime in the near future.
[Mack] Movies are cool, Im always down to watch a good
movie. Sports, no.

What's on the horizon for you - both as

a band and as individuals - over the
next couple of months?
[Jack] We definitely want to tour during winter break, and

hopefully obtain management by the end of the year.

[Mack] Just get more exposure and to have our album
heard by as many people as possible. Oh, and actually tour
this winter.
[Brett] Get our album heard by more and more fans, gain
more fans and friends along the way, play shows and
hopefully be able to get on the road and travel to places
weve never been before. New music video for everyone to
see, lots of awesome things ahead.
[Andy] Expect more content related to our new album soon,
shows and hopefully some tours in the future. We're
constantly working on things.

(below) Vocalist Andy Cizek | (above) Guitarist Mack Gallagher (photos: courtesy of Natalie Ahearn)

 2014 Natalie Ahearn

(above) Drummer Brett Schleicher | (below) Guitarist Jack Rentschler

Submissions.

 2014 M. Kppa

The church was designed

by the renowned architect
Augustus Pugin. He was
told that he had unlimited
funds and that he could
do whatever he wanted. It
is a masterpiece and is
well known as Pugin's
Gem. - Mike

St. Giles Roman Catholic Church

Cheadle, Staffordshire, England.

Q&A
An Interview with Jon Wild pg.40
An interview with Stephanie Weingarten pg.43
transcribed by Sal Balafont

Jon Wild, 47, originally from

Liverpool, now lately of the
Midlands, in the United
Kingdom, graduated with
distinction in photography in
2012 and teaches the subject.
Where are you from originally as well
as currently and is this something you
feel has influenced your work?
[jw] I was born in Liverpool in the UK but quickly moved

modifiers which I always look to expand but often have

created my own modifiers and gobos on the fly as and
when necessary. I have started to paint my own backdrops.
Not only do these give you more creative freedom but save
you a fortune and would therefore recommend anyone to
give it a go.

What inspired you in the beginning to

pick up a camera and shoot what you
do?
[jw] My work history was mainly in web and graphic
design. I got into 3D applications like Vue and Poser by
chance after a customers request necessitated their use. I
then became proficient in scene creation and virtual
lighting set ups and so the natural progression begged the
question Why dont I try this for real?

to the Midlands where my father took new employment. In

later years I spent quite a long time living in a Victorian
house close to the city of Birmingham but eventually
managed to escape suburbia and currently reside in a
small country village called Astwood Bank in
Worcestershire. Its difficult to know directly if habitat has
a direct result on my work. I guess we all take pieces of our
environment and experiences with us that influence how
we look at the world through the lens but any connection
one could place with my images would be somewhat
tenuous.

Did you go to school for photography

or work in the field, if so, could you
relate how this has impacted your life?
[jw] I studied Photography at HND level and graduated
with distinction in 2012 along with receiving the Pearson
Award for outstanding student. My life then changed
immediately as I was asked to return and teach the subject
the same year. With the benefit of knowledge gained
through this education I certainly was able to look at art
and photography with a different perspective.

What equipment do you use or

endorse and why?
[jw] Im a Canon user having amassed a stock of lenses
and bodies after my initial second hand DLSR purchase as a
student. Ive also worked with old Hasselblad models and
have just purchased a rather worn Mamiya 645 to get
myself back into the darkroom. My studio has a small
selection of flash heads along with the usual array of light

2014 Jon Wild, in profile

How long have you been into

photography and what "kind" of
photographer would you consider
yourself?
[jw]A relative newcomer I only began seriously with
photography in 2009 and so my journey from then to now

has been a fast learning curve but thoroughly enjoyable.

What kind of photographer am I? is a difficult one to
answer. Most people around me would probably say
objectionable, bad tempered and borderline alcoholic! I
would like say meticulous, diligent and perhaps too much
of a perfectionist.

therefore has been a key factor including lighting and

composition and being able to indulge and wallow in the
works of the masters I hope, gives you an additional inner
eye when bringing a piece together. Historical and
contextual referencing of art and photography whatever
your given genre is essential.

What do you look for in a particular

shot?
[jw] In other peoples work and my own, it is interest,
something which will hold my eye for more than a fraction
of a second whether that is beauty, disbelief, wonderment,
horror etc. I feel that my current body of work certainly
holds a factor of interest in subject matter, lighting and
composition that may be unfamiliar to many but hopefully
would strike a chord with them to spend more than a few
seconds to view.

Which genre do you prefer and why?

[jw] As part of my studies, still life became a prominent
part of my work. The frequency I returned to it at first was
for rather mundane and practical reasons. With
assignment deadlines ever present I would learn that
models or make-up artists always seemed to let you down,
the elements would never behave for outside location
shots etc., I needed a more reliable subject matter.
Sacrificing my main living room I turned my home into a
studio and wherever possible used still life to fulfil
assignments. Researching the genres roots obviously
brought me to the work of the Dutch Master still life
painters of the 17th century and in particular their Vanitas
pieces. I found the whole subject irresistible. The
symbolism used offered a visual vocabulary for the viewer
of four hundred years ago to interpret their meticulously
created compositions and glean morally sound values of
how life should be lived. In addition, the realism in these
types of pieces is outstanding. I thought it would be an
interesting spin and try to make my photographs as
painterly as I could in composition and lighting alone. The
interest kind of stuck.

What has been the most important

factor in your development as a
photographer?
[jw] I suppose that having a historical subject matter as
an interest I have been lucky to be able to delve into library
and reference material, my bookcase is beginning to groan
under the weight and Amazon packers will be all driving
Rolls Royces given the amount of money I have spent on
reading material! Researching my subject in great depth

Rich Mans Repast J. Wild

Are there any photographers that you

look up to or that inspire you? If so,
could you explain their relevance in
your work?
[jw] There are so many, but in my given field of choice,
the still life work of Irving Penn was especially outstanding.
Some of his editorial pieces for Vogue dating back to the
40s are timeless and his take on a modern day theme of
Vanitas has also been inspirational to me. I also love more
conceptual clever pieces such as the still lifes of Zeke
Berman especially his work from the late 70s. Still life as all
genres can have fuzzy crossover boundaries between one
and another and one that stands out for me is Phillipe
Halsmans Dali Atomicus which I was surprised to see at a
Still Life exhibition. A portrait one might argue but all items
placed, arranged and staged and as with the work of Ray
Massey it proves and taught me that the still life can be far
from still, dull or boring.

Could you describe a good or bad

learning experience?
[jw] In education, being taught the wonders of the
Scheimpflug principle on a wet Wednesday afternoon was
hardly the most exciting way to spend the day. All subjects
can have elements where the student will disengage their

brain and meander into dreamland. Thankfully for the

most part Photography is a hands-on subject. Whilst
knowledge and understanding is essential, getting your
hands dirty is a far more fun method of learning.

Which is more important to you? Light

or Composition? Why? Could you
explain?
[jw] Certainly in what I do, I simply could not imagine
one without the other. I spend as much time on both
aspects when creating an image. If I did not feel happy
with either quality, the picture would be assigned to the
bin. A lot of my images draw upon a chiaroscuro effect
that was predominant in the still life art pieces of the 17th
century and lighting therefore is a major factor. Equally
however details of composition from the painters I look to
for inspiration, followed golden ratio standards and
compositional technique taught from the masters. Its a
tough act follow.

Still Life with Pomegranates, Cranberries, Plums & Beets

J. Wild

If there were a few things you could

recommend to another photographer
to keep in mind during their own
development, what would you say?
[jw] Most of us on the whole are our own worst critic. I
see fault in all my work and always look to how I could
have improved. There are many of my early images never
to have seen the light of day because of this attitude. With
the benefit of hindsight on second viewing they were not
that bad at all and I beat myself up for no reason. In my
brief spell as a teacher and also as a student I saw many
who tied themselves in knots over this and even threw the
towel in. Whether its being a perfectionist or lack of selfbelief, succumbing to this downward spiral of thought
process is totally self-destructive. Learn to draw a line
under what you have done and move on.

Still Life with Fruit and Kings Goblet J. Wild

Stephanie Weingarten, 33, from Germany, is a self-taught hobbyist photographer

and teaches math. She says it was all trial and error that served to help hone her
skills, rather than study.
Where are you from originally as well
as currently and is this something you
feel has influenced your work?
[sw] I'm from Germany. I was born near Wetzlar
(north of Frankfurt) but currently I live in Hamburg.

Did you go to school for photography

or work in the field? If so, how did you
get your start and how much of an
impact on your life has this had?
[sw] No, I did not go to a special school for photography.
I did however choose arts and German for my finals. After
school I went to university to become a teacher for primary
school for maths and German. However, when I met my
husband I took some photos of him surfing. I used a really
cheep camera at that time and the photos were pretty
much crappy. Lots of water and a tiny dot in the middle. I
got myself a real dslr some months later. A Nikon D3100. It
came with two lenses and I fell in love with it. I took photos
of everything I could find. I bought books on digital
photography and visited lots of websites. Even tried to
copy photos I liked. The rest was pretty much trial and
error.

What equipment do you use or

endorse and why?

Stephanie Weingarten, in profile

and a 55-300mm and some macro rings. I still do not use

photoshop 'cause I'm very into Gimp.

What inspired you in the beginning to

pick up a camera and shoot what you
do?
[sw] At first I only took photos of my husband surfing,

How long have you been into

photography and what "kind" of
photographer would you consider
yourself?

kids at the party and the like. After I got the Nikon I got
interested in objects and still life and esp. the lighting. I
took photos of folded paper, flowers and lots of othe thing
I found interesting. Some times later it was all about
conceptual photography. I made a series about words
which is still in the making. It's a process. I'm still into that
kind of photography but I think, I do plan my sessions a lot
more in detail.

[sw] I use a Nikon D5100 with two lenses. A 18-55mm

I started in 2009 and got serious around

Chrismas 2009 when I got my Nikon.

What do you look for in a particular

shot?
[sw] I like to keep it simple. Few objects in a single shot.

Which is more important to you? Light

or composition?
[sw] It matter's what I'm aiming for. If I do conceptual

The lighting has to be good or unique. A photo has to be

special. Sometimes I take hundreds of photos and none's
good at all even if the lighting is perfect. And sometimes
one out of ten feels perfect.

shot's it's both. A good composition can make a crappy

photo if the light's bad. But most of the time it's the
lighting. It can create moods and messages.

Are there any photographers that you

look up to or that inspire you? If so,
could you explain their relevance to
your own work?
[sw] I like unique styles and approaches. It doesn't

2014 / S. Weingarten

matter wether a photo's taken by a professional or an

amateur. A friend of mine works as a freelancer and the
way she does her post production inspires my own work.
She's all about good contrast and high quality colours.

What has been the most important

factor in your development as a
photographer?
[sw] Getting my first real camera was an eye opener.
Experimenting with manual focus, shutter speed etc and
not using the auto mode helped me a lot. In addition
photography's not the only thing I'm interested in. I paint
quite a lot and I think that it helps me to understand how
colours and shapes work. As in how they evoke certain
feelings. Whenever I have the feeling that I'm loosing
myself in too much details I take up a brush.

Could you describe a good or bad

learning experience?
[sw] A good lerning experience was to forego the auto
mode of the camera. It helps to understand how your
camera and photography itself really works.

Which genre do you prefer and why?

[sw] I prefer still lifes and conceptual photography.

If there were a few things you could

recommend to another photographer
to keep in mind during their own
development what would you say?
[sw] As I said above it's important to get to know your
camera. Don't use the auto mode too often. And don't be
afraind to copy photos you like. It helps to understand how
certain effects were created. And last but not least just
take photos. Lots of photos.

 2014
S. Weingarten

Screw Those Pearls M. Storzer

Bamboo Forest M. Storzer

GPS/Rome, Italy
Written by Rick De Vries
Photography by R. De Vries, S. Pedler

Its been more than a month now

since I went to Rome with Sandra,
and like any of the really good trips
Ive been on over the last couple of
years, there are moments where Im
still taken aback in a sentimental
kind of way with the impact of
particular sights, even if I wasnt
allowed to take any pictures.
Thats the irony of tourism though isnt it? Waiting in
line for more than an hour in sweltering heat to
get into the Vatican Museum, all the while silently
fighting to keep my position in the general mill of
things with another couple whether Norwegian or
Swedish or something else entirely, until the last
moment when it is all worth the wait. I really enjoyed
going through it, seeing all the artifacts, the carvings,
coins, photos, and artwork; dont get me started on
the artwork. Ive seriously never found a building that
encased so much art in my life not that Ive seen a
lot but surely atleast 6 different galleries not to
mention all of the rooms decorated with floor to
ceiling frescos and such.
Another thing the sales reps dont warn you about is the
hilarious tenacity of the roadside swindlers who prey on tourists
by promising you a quick way to skip the lines with a guide in
your own language for a really affordable price, luring you with
their words and smiles, and then when you go to pay, you find
out the price is actually fifty euros more because you gotta pay
the guides salary too. In actual fact, for every place we had
people offer us this service, the tickets we bought instead came
with options for audio guides and spoken language guides in
packages for far, far less.
Meh.
What I loved about Rome was the presence of history, the people, the gelato bars
and the cuisine. Nothing will ever compare to the mushroom alfredo and the
steak I had there, not by a long shot and thats a sad fact.
We met these awesome kids from Australia on the train from the metro station to
Naples Im sorry guys, you reminded me so much like Harry, Ron and
Hermione, youll hate me for mentioning it but damn if we didnt have a good
laugh or two during your time at the Camp Ground eh! and there was this point

where we stopped and this horde of youngsters clammered on to the train, god it
must have been right after a rain and didnt they just smell to the high heavens. It
was so hilarious. Im so glad I wasnt the one who said something about
deodorant first. Man, oh man. We must have run into the trio from the train a
few more times before we realized they were still staying at the campsite when
we got back from Pompeii, so we shared a late dinner and went our separate
ways.

Reminds me, in a way, of a scene

from Fight Club, where Nortons
character is on the plane and meets
the other dude, referring to each
other as single serving friends.
Well, I hope when we venture to Australia, we all meet up again.

One night after touring the ruins of Pompeii,

we happened to be staying in a hostel in the
new, modern city but we couldnt find the
place. Id asked directions from this guy who
ran a bizarre gasbar who told me the place I
was looking for was down the first road on
my left, travelling up this one road. I was
skeptical but went looking for it, as the sun
went down mind you, and when I did find the
place the fellow suggested, it seemed like a
bad idea because of the nature of a backalley
road, in a foreign country at night, et cetera,
but whatever. We went around the area,
roughly a city block, before we found the
other side of the alley road, realizing it was in
fact on that particular alley road after all.
Anyway, the point of the whole thing is that,
although I have no real complaints and the
hostel itself was clean, the staff was
incredible and the usual, but it had the feel of
a horror-movie setting. You know the one Im
referring to even if were both too polite to
say it out-loud. I remember Sandra saying to
me, if we woke up strapped to chairs, she
wouldnt be surprised. Well, that night I
swear these two guys in the lobby were

talking about how to rob us in Italian, which I

dont speak, and I wont deny I got incredibly
bad vibes off these two gentlemen. Before I
went to bed, I put the two chairs in the
bedroom against the door and waited with
baited breath for more than an hour in the
dark, waiting for something to happen, before
I allowed myself to drift off. It was so crazy.

The catacombs was also something else. Going into a place thats more than
1900 years old is going to have that affect on anyone I guess, but still, standing
in the spot where the disciples Peter and Paul were temporarily buried?
Priceless.
Other things like getting to within ten feet of the Swiss Guard, for a photo-op
Sandra was less-than-interested to be a part of, or the Pantheon itself, or the
Bridge of Angels and the river with all the trees, the gelato bar we visited nearly
every morning and afternoon while we were there, and the night in Pompeii, are
guaranteed to remain great memories for years to come, but I only wish that the
battery of my own camera hadnt annoyingly ran itself dead on the flight across
the alps from St Johns to Rome. There would literally have been thousands of
photos to sift through, instead of the hundreds. I like panoramas though, so the
collection will make do.

Ridiculous how you can feel such bad vibes that make
you act certain ways. Who knows why it happens at all.
Rome was awesome in its own way.
Regardless of the graffiti or the litter and general dinginess of the city, it was one
of those places Id always wanted to go to but never went, you know?

Now I can scratch the Pantheon,

Catacombs, Vatican and Sunday Mass
with the Pope off my bucketlist.
Biggest high point of the entire trip, not including my engagement at the
Pantheon? Easily when I was in the Vatican and I was in the room with
Michaelangelos artwork, and I was standing directly underneath his Creation
Of Adam and I just got goosebumps and it was like a piece of the great puzzle
of my life slid into place. It was great!

Strangers In Pompeii 2014 / R. De Vries

Yes, Rome belongs to that distinguished list of places Ive been; the Bahamas,
Puerto Rico, Cuba, Boston, Florida, New Jersey, Chicago, London (England),
and perhaps one day Ill return.

Inside The Vatican 2014 / R. De Vries

If youre ever in Rome though, I suggest you

look up the gelato bar down the street from
Cipro station, with the orange chairs outside,

the black marble floor and the three warm,

friendly ladies who always remember their
customers. Their gelato is great, comes with
whipped cream, and their cappuccinos are
beautifully made. Their deserts however,
are to die for. Seriously, look them up if you
go. You wont be let down.

For more photos, visit us on the web at http://www.capricemag.com and click

on the GPS icon

St. Peters Square 2014 / R. De Vries

ANNABELLE
2014 *** (3 stars/of 5) Rated 18A | Horor/Supernatural | Directed by
What is it with dolls?
As a horror-junkie, I generally look forward to movies about the
supernatural and such, when I cant get my fix of slasher films. While I
enjoyed the first part of this films story, The Conjuring, and while I did
in fact enjoy a few parts of this film, I didnt care for the story
particularly, but only because I felt the director could have spent more
time exploring Anabelles possession by the crazy woman who killed
herself in the babys room. Actor Robin Pearson Rose who plays the
expectant mother, is pretty good in her roll but Ward Horton, who
plays the husband, appears to be all snotty arrogance and little else. I
wasnt personally inspired by his performance, although the impact of
the thought of losing his wife during that attack on their neighbours,
was certainly conveyed in his emotional delivery at the time.

The dog takes out a hefty number of people before the end, when
mother risks it all to save her sons life, lashing out with a baseball bat
and repeatedly knocking the St. Bernard to the ground. The moment,

For that part of the film, the movie was great. I really enjoyed the urbal
50s feel of the film, the vintage homes and cars, the clothes, the air of
the scenes. It was believable. Yet, the possessed doll could have been
done a little better, and just like the pre-possession story, could have
been drawn out a little more. Director John R. Leonetti lands his film
three stars out of five not because I didnt like the film, because
honestly theres no way any scene will match the elevator scene in
ANABELLE for really long time on general creep-out this particular
scene gets a score of ten out of ten on that alone but because I think
some stuff could have been handled a little better.
Go and see ANNABELLE if youre a fan of the first film, and prepare
yourself for the time when it comes, when youre taking that elevator
ride, alone, in the middle of the night. Try not to wonder why you keep
landing on the same floor and all the lights are out.

CUJO
1983 **** (4 out of 5 stars) Rated PG-13 | Horror, Suspense
Directed by
When I saw the movie the first time back in 1990, I lived down the
street from a pair of St. Bernards, so I had a pretty good idea of the size
of the dogs. But Cujo was more than just another big dog. He was the
family pet, and liked to chase rabbits. It was just a sad coincidence that
landed him in the hole with those bats in the first place.
Based on the novel by Stephen King, the film runs approximately 000
minutes, and is pretty close to the source material. Centered around
Donna Trenton, a woman played by Dee Wallace and her son Tad,
played by Danny Pintauro, who for whatever reason, get stranded at
the farm of Joe Chambers (played by Ed Lauter) and must endure the
terrorizing encounters with a rabid Cujo.

when it comes, that last in the

farmhouse, as Cujo leaps that
last time, that is the perfect way
to end the film.
If youre a fan of Stephen King,
give Cujo a shot. You wont be
let down.

AlleyWays
Thank God Its Doomsday
Released: September 28, 2014

Length: 40+ minutes

Tracklisting:
Lost In A Dream, Around Us,
Brain Drain,
Times Change People Dont,
Breathless, The Way You Lie,
Weekend, Way Out, Life-Ride,
Underwater, Fragile,
The Hardest Part
I like punk bands for their penchant for giving the bass players a more
easily heard presence in their songs. For a band to get in my good
books, theyve got to have that in at least one song Ill listen to and
theyve got to use that sort of dynamic in the rest. If these conditions
are met, they probably get added to my mp3 player.
Italian, Milan-based punk rockers AlleyWays, whom I interviewed last
month, released their new album Thank God Its Doomsday around
the time I was in Italy celebrating my engagement. Their music is great
for the genre and vocalist Sebastiano Bianca writes stuff that makes
sense.
Rating: 4/5 Stars

CROWSNEST

Demon Hunter

2012 | Rated R | Directed by

****/5 Stars

Extremist

These days, found footage films are all the rage, and there seems to be
an endless supply of this material, lying in some swampy area off the
road in the apparently abundant backcountry. Standard rules for this
type of movie apply bunch of kids driving cross country make a stop in
a village, think its abandoned but make contact with the killers, then
one by one become victims themselves until the end of them all but
its the way of the casts dispatchment that is just awesome. The guy
holding the camera most of the time ends up getting decapitated from
behind, after being dragged across the forest floor, flipped on his
stomach and actually remarks that It hurts! as his neck is being sawn
through with a machete.
Brutalist moment? First victim, Amanda, played by Chelsey Reist who is
standing outside of her friends car, puking, when a motorhome
appears out of nowhere and just runs right over her, leaving her broken
and suffering to her friends horror.
Solid movie over-all, if you like this type. The acting of the cast could
have been a tad better, but who cares? The material was good. Give it a
watch if you like this kind of movie.

Release Date: March 18, 2014

Categories: Metal / Rock

Length: 12 tracks
Track Listing: Death, Artificial Light,
What Im Not, The Last One Alive,
I Will Fail You, One Last Song,
Cross To Bear, Hell Dont Need Me,
In Time, Beyond Me, Gasoline,
Heart Of A Graveyard

Ive been a fan of these guys for a while now, ever since The Tryptych
and I really enjoy how honest they are. Old songs like A Thousand
Apologies really connected with me. Having forgotten about them for a
little while, it was a very very nice surprise to reacquaint myself with
them through their newest record Extremist.
Rating: 5/5 stars