August was one of the busier months at 838MG in a long time. We had shoots almost every day; often times more than one shoot a day. Along with a lot of portfolios and headshots, the summer heat wave brought with it a wave of creativity, and let’s just say “it’s getting hot in here” has never been more true.
Mallika Sherawat was in town, and we did a shoot in anticipation of the ‘Politics of Love’ release. We headed down to Melrose for a good old guerilla style shoot. It was a fun playful day, and we were thrilled to have Mallika be so cooperative and relaxed with us. Mallika also invited 838MG to the release of ‘Politics of Love’ at the Laemelle Theatre in Beverly Hills. Unsurprisingly, the movie was phenomenal. Mallika’s acting chops are showcased in their entirety, and the movie has garnered a lot of critical kudos.
For a while now, we’ve been wanting to create a short film showcasing an 838MG fashion shoot. So we collaborated with some young, eager filmmakers and invited them to our ‘WHITE OUT’ shoot at a Beverly Hills mansion. They got some amazing footage of how Ash works, and everything that goes into making a high profile shoot come to fruition. 6 models, all white fashion, and one king sized couch. The possibilities were endless… and can we just say it’s a lot of fun watching 6 models catfight. We can’t wait to see, and show you some of the edited footage.
Oleander, a rock band wanted us to shoot some promotional pictures for their latest album release. The group was looking for something different, and out of the box… so obviously Ash was their first choice for creating a new look for them. Ash took some construction paper; some slashed up plastic sheets and worked his magic.
Inspired by the summer heat, Ash wanted to shoot a lot of water work this month. He wanted something muddy and playful, so we had our in-house make-up artist Maya play around with some ideas. Who knew regular old jello gelatin and make-up dirt could create clothes? Apparently Maya did, and we had a lot of playground-style fun with her creations. Add in the effortlessly talented Laura Shields, and you can’t help but come up with brilliance.
Another water project we did was with our ‘Face of The Month,’ Anita. Fresh from Russia, Anita was excited to get involved in Los Angeles fashion, and came to Ash for some new pictures. We’re not sure if she expected to be hosed down, but once she saw the final picture, she was thrilled. Vermillion Heat truly represents this past summer in LA.
We also made a lot of progress on our Hookers project. We took a camera, one china-bulb, a couple of reflectors, and headed out to the neighborhood bus stop at midnight. Despite the circling LAPD, we got some sensational, gritty but yet high fashion images.
Rajashree Choudhary, wife of Bikram (the guru behind ‘Bikram Yoga’) came in for a new set of publicity photographs. She’s eternally graceful, humble and a gem to work with. With natural beauty and grace, she’s a photographer’s dream come true, and we had a wonderful shoot with her.
Vivica Mitra who we’d shot last month, came back in for some images for Maxim India, and again, the summer heat-wave allowed for some sexy (but classy) water images.
Ash had a small get-together at his house for his daughter Shibumi’s 16th birthday, and invited the friends and family of 838MG. We must say his house is a beautiful and relaxing nirvana, and his wife Shalini is probably the world’s most gracious host. Michael Hirschenson and his wife Janet, Paul Ebeling Jr, and some of our favorite models and stylists made it out to party with 838MG. It was refreshing to kick back with the people we work with every day, and we’re grateful to Ash for allowing us to be a part of his family celebration.
Rising actress Sheila Shah came in for a portfolio shoot, and along with some leather, prop guns, and high-fashion outfits, we had an amazing shoot with her as well.
In office news, we repainted the office and made some drastic interior decorating changes. And not to sound conceited, but we think it looks spectacular! Wes, one of the integral members of our group went on vacation, and we’re glad to have him back. We also hired an extremely talented new intern, Elyse. So lots of good stuff!
All in all it was a super busy and creative month, and we’re grateful to everyone who helped us make it happen!
