Jef Harris

NIN – 20 Ghosts III

// April 11th, 2008 // Comments Off // News, music

With the release of the new NIN CD(s) comes the Nine Inch Nails Ghosts Film Festival. You can read/hear about the announcement here. I’m sure I was one of the first million to buy the new CD online, (only $5!), and it’s quite a collection. So when I heard about the open call for videos, well, I just jumped on that!
Together with Nina McEvoy and Raquel Nevado we set out to make something powerful, something that could breath life into the music. Also, keep it simple was also the goal. So with Nina and Raquel laying naked on my lighting table with pieces of machinery between them, well, what could be more effective!
In order to keep the video as with the realm of copyrights as possible, the original footage is helped along with various film clips from 1897 – 1902.
Full video can be viewed HERE. And feel free to comment or rate it.

Rozalind MacPhail – The Test

// February 6th, 2008 // View Comments // News, photography

During the Summer of 2006 I did a test shoot with Rozalind MacPhail. Most photographers nowadays use the term “test” shoot as another way of saying, “shooting for free”. It used to be called T.F.P., (Time For Print). I on the other hand use the term in it’s full meaning. I literally don’t know if I’m going to get along with the person who I’m working with. Now most people can be shot well, given a good make-up job, a nice hair do, some nice cloths, great location, and some killer lighting. I look more for the connection between me and my model. Even using the term model is a stretch for me. The people I work with are my inspiration. I would even go so far as to say my reason for doing photography in the first place.
I had known of Rozalind, and her music for years, and have always wanted to shoot with her, but never got around to it. Then one day I find out she’s leaving Ottawa!!! So I jump on the chance to work with her. I had to know if we had that vibe. To me, the results of this shoot, are extraordinary. I’m just in love with her style, her look, her grace. Sadly, most don’t share my view of these shots. But in the end, it’s about how satisfied I am with the work I do.
Rozalind and I did end up doing another shoot a year later when she was passing through Ottawa, but you’ll have to wait for those.
Take the time to listen to some of her music on her MySpace page HERE, and then check out the full set of photographs HERE.

?Prince, Has Lost The Plot ? Prince, To Sue A Lot ?

// November 7th, 2007 // View Comments // News

Prince has now decided the best way to endear himself to his most loyal fans is to threaten to sue them directly.According to the BBC Prince is using Web Sheriff to demand that fans remove all and any album covers, images of him in concert and any Prince lyrics from their fan sites. Sites that fail to act on the demands should expect legal action to follow as Prince is claiming breach of copyright.
For some fans this sort of one-on-one attention from their idol will be a dream come true, but for the majority of Prince’s ever decreasing fan base, being sued for the crime of printing lyrics on a web page, running an image of Prince, or worst still, running an Amazon affiliate ad that includes a Prince album cover won’t be welcomed.

A spokesman for Prince Fans United denied the sites had done anything wrong, saying the “websites are run by fans, therefore it is an attack on fans” and that “we respect copyright laws always. However about 80% of the images on the websites are not copyright owned by Prince.”

Continue Reading.