Westside Studio is an advertising photography facility in Toronto, Canada. This blog is an outlet for our latest news and imagery.
As many children prepare themselves for a visit from a giant gift bearing rabbit, we on the Westside are celebrating the season with some new and eggs-travagantly colourful work from Vicky Lam.
Enjoy.
Go hit up The Grid to find out what’s going down in Vicky’s image, and be sure to have yourselves an egg-cellent long weekend!
Image © Vicky Lam
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For quite some time now, two of our post categories have been collecting dust, and it saddens me. In a way I feel like Kate McCallister when she left Kevin at home that first time, wondering how I got so caught up in the madness of life that I could leave my babies behind. It’s been exactly 350 days since we last put 5+ at the start of a post’s title, and much like when Kate met up with Gus ‘Polka King of the Midwest‘ Polinski, I’m really pleased that I can start to feel like a good parent again.
Before we meet today’s creative mind, I’d like to give a big shout out to all the Art/ Creative Director’s who have taken part in the previous installments of this wonderful means of learning ‘What 5 things inspire you right now?’. Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Marissa Mastenbroek.
Marissa © Vicky Lam
So Marissa, what 5 things inspire you?
Deadlines
If there is a project on the go with no due date, chances are laundry will trump it.
Nature
Oh Summertime, how lovely your greens when backlit by sunshine.
Last year while camping, I felt inspired to make something as my son took his epic 3 hour naps. I didn’t have a lot to work with. I cut out some eyes from paper and glued them (with Play Doh) onto things I found at my feet – rocks, pine cones, sticks – then shot them in the forest around me. Those images turned into a series of three story books for Noah. I wanted him to remember the camping trip – and think I am a good mother.
Foreign flora is inspiring and curious. Only God could think up a Monkey Puzzle.
Nice Typography
Look what I found in my in-laws’ garage.
Some awesome graffiti typography.
This is a nice tealight font.
Three Illustrators in Particular on Noah’s Bookshelf
The detail in Marc Boutavant’s ‘Mouk’ is breathtaking. It looks like a combo of Illustrator and pen to paper. Not sure. Delphine Durand‘s creatures and animated designer furniture in ‘Big Rabbit’s Bad Mood’ are so cool. And, Jon Klassen, in case you’re reading this blog, your images inspire me too. I love your pared back palette.
Riding My Bike
Nothing makes me feel more alive than racing along a dirt-packed trail with the smell of pine trees and ripe raspberries in the sunshine.
(Also, thin black markers and lineless paper. And naps. And macchiatos.)
Big thanks to Marissa for sharing her 5+!
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A special little treat for you from Vicky Lam on this, the day of the Valentine. Before we give up the love here’s the lady to give you the lowdown.
I’m not sure why I was compelled to do this and I realize there is no heavy narrative behind it; I was just craving to do something visual and explore the idea of looping motion and common symbols involved with Valentines day.
So Happy Valentine’s Day! (more like Single Awareness Day ;D)
xo Vicky
Image © Vicky Lam
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It’s the last day before the holiday break here at Westside, and while the Blog may still have a post in the stocking, the great studio hall is calm like a quiet winters night. Sounds like the perfect setting for a tale of murderous revenge, brought to you by Miss Vicky Lam and her Christmas client, FANGORIA.
What a great way to end the year and start the holidays! You can’t go wrong with gingerbread men… murders! This creative was brought to life from masterminds, Mooren Bofill and Nick Asik from Zulu Alpha Kilo. I was sooooooo excited when I got the brief and just thought we had to make this happen. Although it may seem that I only like “cutesy” ideas or things, I definitely enjoy dark humour too, and this was the perfect combination of both.
To meet our tight deadline, we enlisted the help of model maker/magician Jamie Oxenham. He crafted some sturdy and sadistic gingerbread men and off we went! The evil little characters made it hard not to laugh and it was definitely a fun shoot to end off the year. Thanks so much to Mo and Nick for dreaming up such a twisted creative for Fangoria fans! And a Special thanks to the great team for making this happen!
Photographer: Vicky Lam
Client: FANGORIA
Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Art Director: Mooren Bofill
Copywriter: Nick Asik
Model maker: Jamie Oxenham
Assistant: Alex Beetham
You may be able to spot some in downtown Toronto or in NYC (near Fangoria headquarters), but in case you miss them here’s a look at some from here in Toronto.
Happy holidays! muahahahhahahah… ~ VL
Because this is one of the last posts of the year there’ll be no holding back, we’re giving ya everything AND the kitchen sink! So sit back and enjoy some BTS images from assistant Alex Beetham, and then we’ll take a look at the layouts that brought Vicky so much holiday cheer.
Big thanks to Vicky for sharing such an awesome project, and a round of cheers for Mo and Nick from Zulu on a job very well done!
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Vicky Lam has been waiting so patiently to talk about this awesome project – she’s taking the reigns today, so I expect everyone to be on their best behavior for her. Take it away lady.
Here’s a look at my favourite shoot of the year! Scotts’ has had some great ideas for ads and I’ve been really happy to be part of it. I love shooting still life, especially when they involve model builds and miniature props. I also love the idea of walking into an empty studio and turning it into a whimsical set then leaving at the end of the day with something amazing. I got to have all this and more with Scotts’ magic Shed of Wonder.
We were asked by creative team Marissa Mastenbroek and David Houghton, to create a miniature shed and garden that would transform over all four seasons. We enlisted the help of master model maker Franc Madden to bring this scene to life. Shooting over two days and using unconventional items to transform the set into spring, summer, fall, and winter – for grass (think bathroom rug) and snow (think salt!).
This has got to be my favourite shoot so far – it was really neat to see the different transitions of the set from season to season. I love working with miniatures too, as it is very reminiscent of childhood shows and story books I’ve seen. I’ve been itching to release images from this shoot, but have been waiting for all seasons to pass. For now, here are the first three, and we’ll have to wait till winter comes to see number four.
Photographer: Vicky Lam
Client: Scotts Miracle-Gro Canada
Agency: Saatchi & Saatchi
Art Director: Marissa Mastenbroek
Copywriter: David Houghton
Model Maker: Franc Madden
Assistants: Alex Lukey & Lindsay Lauckner
Many thanks to Scotts for having me on board for such a great creative and to the team for bringing it all together! Now here’s a look at Franc and all of us working hard playing Mother Nature. ;D ~ VL
Along with the stills, Vicky was tasked with putting together some .GIF images for the Scotts Shed of Wonders Facebook app, but we’ll hang on to those until Winter rears it’s icy heart a little later in the year. Enjoy the weekend!
Images © Vicky Lam
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The cluster of offices on the main floor at Westside are inhabited by a ragtag gang of over the wall talkers that includes B Myers, King Reezy, Lady Lam, and myself. I end up being the elephant-eared meat in the sandwich of spaces which gives me unique opportunities to hear one side of a phone call from anyone of these three neighbours. Being the fly on a wall durring the problem solving phone calls of photographers tend to be entertaining.
One of these such times occurred way back on the 14th, when Lady Lam received a last minute phone call from The Grid. She’ll give you the whole story below, but first take a look at her latest cover story images!
Photographer: Vicky Lam
Client: The Grid
Creative Director: Vanessa Wyse
Photo Editor: May Truong
Paper Model Designer: Kyosuke Nishida
Assistant: Alex Beetham
I’m so excited to have shot the cover story for the Grid this week! Available on the streets of Toronto now!
When contributing Grid photo editor, May Truong, contacted me on the Friday afternoon, I was in a bit of a panic. They were looking for a miniature-sized model of a condo and it had to be shot over the weekend. Being a photographer isn’t just about knowing how to work with a camera or lighting, but the ability to solve problems creatively (which often makes my life very exciting!). The challenge was to find a miniature model in time (most shops are closed over the weekend) and to also find one simplified enough that could pass as a condo, but not represent an exact model of an existing condo.
Instead of searching across the city frantically, I decided to enlist the help of the talented Kyosuke Nishida, a graphic designer who has worked on extensive set-designs and environmental displays. We decided that building our own custom condo would be the best solution. After spending our Saturday in silence (designing and cutting paper), we ended up with this charming little condo:
From there, with the addition of miniature trees, and street lamps, the miniature condo was born. Many thanks to Kyosuke for making this happen on such short notice! And also to the team at the Grid for giving me such a fun concept to shoot, check out the whole story over on their site.
Special thanks to Alex Beetham for his assistance and great hand modelling job! While we on the search for the perfect pair of “condo” keys, we came across a large bag at the studio of miscellaneous keys to sort through. Has anyone left behind some keys at Westside over the years? Come claim them from manager Matt, the keeper of the keys.
Just to be clear, Vicky is the most polite person in the world both on the phone and in person. While I may have alluded to otherwise, the most entertaining part of her phone calls that day was her unbridled persistance in solving the miniature condo problem.
All Images © Vicky Lam
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As summer continues to wind down, we get closer to the time of year when we must say goodbye to the warm weather wears, and adopt such apparel as the ‘pant’ or ‘jacket’. It can be a difficult transition for some, but fortunately for those with fears of fall fashion there’s the Toronto Life Stylebook to guide you along the path of prevailing taste. Vicky Lam took this same path earlier in the month when she and the Stylebook team got together to put the finishing touches on this years autumn outfits.
Here’s Vicky to tell you more.
Shoes and sparkly things – some of my favourite things all in one shoot, what more could I ask for? The team at Toronto Life Stylebook gave me the chance to photograph this fall’s looks and let me ooh and ahh over all the designer shoes and accessories. Check out the Fall/Winter edition on newsstands today! Thanks to the great team at Toronto Life Style for an awesome shoot!
What brainstorming and inspiration tends to looks like:
Us hard at work!
And now here are some of the shots in this issue:
Photographer: Vicky Lam
Client: Toronto Life
Art Director: Una Janicijevic
Photo Editor: Anna Lisa Sang
Fashion Editor: Meaghan Binstock
Off-Figure Stylist: Serge Kerbel
Assistants: Alex Lukey & Kai Wong
Big thanks to Vicky for sharing and a happy (and safe) long weekend to you all!
Images © Vicky Lam
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This weeks cover story of The Grid is all about BIG ideas, where several Toronto “brainiacs” share their thoughts on what they feel would help shape up Pig-City*; and while the proposals in Toronto the Better may be grandiose in scale, the images from Vicky Lam that accompany them are anything but.
To provide a bit of backstory to Vicky‘s work, the ideas that she set out to bring to life are included as an intro to her images.
#3| GET PUPPY MARSHALLS ON THE TTC
… Just as some medical institutions and graduate schools keep canines around to relieve general stress, so too would … our transit system benefit from exuberant furriness. Pets … are currently prohibited on the TTC during rush hour, but that’s when they are needed most.
#11| BUILD A BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAIN (OUT OF GARBAGE)
Toronto produces close to 400,000 tons of residential garbage every year … what if we diverted all that garbage … and built a mega-mountain for skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and all the other great activities only made possible by a true point of elevated land?
#23| THROW A DAMN BABY PARADE!
People love seeing babies walk, and people love seeing babies in costume— this would have it all. It would be a very short parade, since you can’t make them walk very far. Babies as upside-down clowns? That’s amazing.
#32| LET US DECIDE WHERE OUR MONEY GOES
What if each and every one of Toronto’s 44 wards got $1.35 million every year to spend how people living there saw fit? That’s what happens in Chicago’s 49th Ward: Citizens come together to decide their priorities, whether it’s roads, streets, lighting, sidewalks, or parks.
Photographer: Vicky Lam
Photo Editor: Shelbie Vermette
Assistant: Maggie Walker
From Vicky,
It was a challenging shoot, I superglued my fingers together amongst the assembly of props, but really fun to work on a mini-scale. Special thanks to assistant Maggie Walker for her handy craftwork and to Franc Madden for providing me with some miniature props!
For the full list of city changing ideas go hit up The Grid. Enjoy the weekend kids.
All Images © Vicky Lam
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Here’s Vicky Lam to tell you about her latest images shot for The Globe and Mail.
Out today and exclusively for Globe and Mail subscribers, is the Globe Style Advisor. I’m so happy to be included in the first bi-annual issue of Style Advisor. This issue is all about spring and pastels. Thanks to art director, Kate LaRue for having me on board for such a fun shoot! It was so neat to see the story come alive with the help of food stylist Sasha Seymour and our little miniature friends (each miniature was about 3/4″ tall!).
Photographer: Vicky Lam
Art Director: Kate LaRue
Photo Editor: Clare Jordan
Food Stylist: Sasha Seymour
Assistants: Alex Beetham & Thomas Dagg
It’s so exciting to be included in the inaugural issue of such a well designed publication and to be featured amongst other great photographers. For non-subscribers, be sure to check out the free iPad app to see the full-bleed pictures in all their glory!
Here are some behind the scenes shots from our shoot,
It’s a marshmallow world (from Alex Beetham)
To get an idea of scale (from Thomas Dagg)
Oh the endless possibilities we had with the little miniatures! (from Vicky Lam)
Images © Vicky Lam
BTS © Vicky Lam, Thomas Dagg, Alex Beetham
Big thanks and a job well done to Vicky for sharing. Happy weekend everyone!
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Yes, it’s that time of year again. The snow has melted, the birds are singing, the clocks jumped forward leaving us behind with tired eyes, and all the while, shiny paper Shamrocks grace our storefronts. St. Patrick’s Day is upon us.
It’s an exciting celebration that most of us don’t remember, except for a late night souvenir of an early morning hangover. This Saturday we’ll see lots of Shamrocks and Paddy Wagons, but until then here’s a festive collection of images from our guys and gals.
TGIW!
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