PicsArt Monthly Magazine, November Issue 2014

CONTENT
PRO INSIGHT
Public Transportation for Photographers
INSPIRATION
Photography’s Ongoing Affair with Nature
Carrie’s Collage Paintings Wed Retro with Fantasy
PICSART IN ACTION
PicsArt Effects Offer a Range of Subtle Changes
TUTORIALS
Capture the Beauty of Dusk in 5 Easy Steps
This Editing Tutorial Will Blow Your Mind… Literally
How to Draw a Castle, Using PicsArt Drawing Tools
Design Your Own Thanksgiving Card with PicsArt
WHAT'S NEW
B u i l d i n g t h e L a r g e s t N e t w o r k o f C r e a t i v e s
The Mistake Makes the Art: Glitch Photography
INTERVIEW
Kirsty Mitchell's Photos Inspired by Fairy Tales
FEATURE
Down the Road of Anticipation
DIY PicsArt Pillow
A Wonderland of Inspiration
Marco Giussani Captures the Lives of Strangers
TABLE OF

Editor-in-Chief | Arusiak Kanetsyan
Art Editor | Cristina Gevorg
Art Director | Vahan Balasanyan
Designer | Ina Sarko
Copy Editor | Madlene Minassian
Editorial Contributors | Arto Vaun,
Ani Mouradian, Mark Gargarian
Special Contributors | Chris Corradino,
Garine Tcholakian, Lou Jones
In-House Photographer | ma_lina
Address: PicsArt Inc.,
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Copyright of Socialln Inc. ( PicsArt Photo Studio ) 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be re-used without the written permission of
the publisher. The content of this magazine is for informational purposes only and is, to the best of our knowledge, correct at the time of publication.
PicsArt Photo Studio does not claim any ownership right for the photos in the Magazine. All photos,if not mentioned otherwise, are the property
of respective PicsArt users. The PicsArt username or photo owner is cited on each photo. PicsArt Photo Studio has a non-exclusive, royalty-free,
worldwide, limited licence to use, modify, add to, publicly perform, publicly display, and reproduce PicsArt users’ photos, including without limitation
distributing part or all of the Magazine in any media formats through any media channels.
6 | PicsArt Monthly
PUBLISHER: PICSART
@dloved4e Cover photo by Kirsty Mitchell

PicsArt Monthly |7
The leaves are golden and red, the
air is chilled, and there’s a sense
of wondrous change as winter
approaches. In this issue of PicsArt
Monthly there’s a superb collection of
articles, photo galleries, and tutorials
for you to curl up with and enjoy on a
cold evening while sipping some hot
tea or a cappuccino.
Black and white photos capture the
mystery of everyday life, the tension
between intimacy and detachment.
Marco Giussani’s photos crystalize the
transient moments in public places
that strangers share, where they
aren’t strangers for a moment.
Garine Tcholakian visits Yves Rocher’s
hometown of La Gacilly in France and
immerses herself in the environment,
culture, and scenery that inspired the
entrepreneur in so many ways.
The transition from autumn to
winter has an element of strangeness
that British photographer Kirsty
Mitchell taps into with her beguiling
photos based on fairy tales from her
childhood. Her work is a mind-bending
combination of theatre, film sets, and
paintings, all within her masterful
photographic techniques. Our
interview with her sheds much light
on how she creates such fascinating
photos.
Some of you might remember when
photography involved more chance,
before digital took over analog. At
times, photographers would end up
keeping and even focusing on the
random “mistakes” in their photos.
Now this has re-emerged as glitch
photography, an interesting trend in
which digital artists are again using
“mistakes” or other interferences in
their work to add layers of texture to
photos.
There’s much more in the November
issue, including new tutorials and a
special message by our PicsArt CEO in
honor of PicsArt's third birthday. So
make sure to sit back and enjoy. As
always, feel free to write to us with
comments and feedback.

First off, public transportation
is a misnomer.
In order to work for
the greatest good,
public transportation
has to be designed
for the least common
denominator. So it is
always inconvenient,
under construction,
inadequate, crowded,
and slow. For
photographers, this sort
of uncertainty can be
devastating to critical
planning.
Great cities have
elaborate public
transportation systems.
They maintain subways,
bus routes, taxis and
unique alternatives like
dala dalas (Tanzania),
tap taps (Haiti)--some
8 | PicsArt Monthly
legal, some not. Throngs
of people have to be
moved around a city for
work, for commerce,
for pleasure and other
nefarious reasons. In
some urban areas
the streets are so
overcrowded that mass
transit moves faster
than private cars.
On assignment in Tokyo,
Japan, I tried to go from
one appointment to the
next using their very
efficient, very clean
taxis. I soon learned that
traffic was so bad that
their very efficient,
very clean subways
were faster.
by Lou Jones

PRO INSIGHT
AXIOM NUMBER ONE:
IT DOESN’T WORK
http://fotojonesblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/sibway.html
PicsArt Monthly |9

Even under the best
conditions getting
around on mass
transportation is
confusing. Reading
subway maps,
transferring from
one bus to another,
10 | PicsArt Monthly
understanding
timetables in foreign
languages can bring
you to your knees.
Public transport alters
the pace of daily
life. My pet peeve is
that these systems
should always be
designed with non
natives, elderly and
illiterate riders in
mind. With experience
you get better at
second guessing the
engineers’ logic.

PicsArt Monthly |11
Rushing to a job, I
once traveled in the
wrong direction on
a subway because of
one letter misplaced
on a subway map.
After waiting for
hours, my subjects
were not amused
and did not believe
my excuse when
I finally showed
up. You may need
help deciphering
each countries
peccadilloes. On
the other hand,
getting lost can also
develop into some
exciting photographic
adventures.
AXIOM NUMBER TWO:
NAVIGATION IS HARD

Safety is a big
consideration. In large
crowds tourists are
targets for pickpockets
and gangs. Don’t carry
large amounts of cash
or display valuable
equipment. In some
towns cab drivers
can be predators.
Even flagging a cab
on the street can be
dangerous. Without
prior vetting by your
hotel concierge or a
friend, fares may be
in dispute. Always get
your luggage out of the
trunk before you pay.
Even on the local cars,
vans and buses that
natives depend on,
you may find yourself
being charged a
different rate.
Non-accredited
drivers prey on people
at train stations and
airports. You have to
be ever vigilant. A
competent taxi driver
is worth his/her weight
in gold. Good ones
know everything.
PicsArt Monthly |13
AXIOM NUMBER THREE:
NOT EVERYONE
IS SAVORY

Subways are to cities
what the six gun was
to the Old West—the
“Great Equalizer”.
In the crush of rush
hour they transport
teeming masses under
metropolises all over
the world. They distill
the various strata of
humanity, rich/poor,
majority/minority,
intellectuals/crazies—
no one gets there any
faster.
From the window seat
of a bus you can see a
city displayed in front
of you. I used to take
long bus rides with a
city map in hand and
marked my route so I
could return later to
photograph something I
liked. It was cheap.
Anyone with “coin of
the realm” can flag
down a taxi. But there
are intermediate
conveyances that
service many
municipalities. They
are fun, unique and
bizarre. In Tanzania,
for short money, you
can ride on the back
of a motorcycle called
boda boda in order
to bypass traffic. I
have sat in the middle
seat of Philippines’
Jeepneys crushed
between other riders,
chickens on my
shoulders, camera
bag on my lap and my
luggage tied to the roof.
Conversation was brisk,
lively and unintelligible.
The three-stroke
engines of tuk-tuks in
India are ubiquitous,
toxic and highly
regulated. I went
everywhere in them.

PicsArt Monthly |15
AXIOM NUMBER FOUR:
ANYONE CAN DO IT

To show up for a
proper assignment
on a bus might be
very déclassé. But
for editorial, fine
art, travel or street
photography, it may
be the perfect vehicle.
Anyone can rent
cars or hire drivers.
However public
transportation lets you
rub shoulders with the
hoi polloi makes for
shared experiences
and is part of the
fabric of a civilization.
Better to see the
unadorned, backside
and insider favorites.
Greater opportunities
for photographs. Be a
good ambassador. Put
yourself out there. You
just might like it.

AXIOM NUMBER FIVE:
THEY MAKE GREAT PICTURES
PicsArt Monthly |17

Its
Current
Lover,
Autumn
The season of change,
the year’s final and
loveliest smile. Autumn is
a dynamic season full of
character that is always
interpreted by authors
and artists in different
ways. Photographers
are always bound,
guided and inspired by
nature and its seasons.
Autumn’s influence on
the way photographers
perceive and embrace
the world around them
is no less significant and
captivating. It has its
unique charm, that seeps
into photography visually
and aesthetically.
PicsArt Monthly |19
PHOTOGRAPHY’S
ONGOING
AFFAIR
WITH
NATURE
INSPIRATION : Photo

@brandyniccole
@catalystpastor

PicsArt Monthly |21
@roxyhart

Seasons determine
lighting and the range of
scenes one can capture
or depict. Autumn is
unique and beautiful in
that it flaunts its assets,
making it impossible
to ignore its scenic
endowments. As a
result we find ourselves
exposed to photography
that is perhaps more
sensitive and perceptive
to the details that
become apparent this
time of year.
These leaves are a
symbol of change as they
evolve into a mesmerizing
array of colors and
textures- a treat to
experience through crisp
camera lenses. These
images are a treasure
chest of visually detailed
and warm realities.
Autumn leaves and
their changes also speak
with the natural cycles
existent in life. Renewal,
growth, change, and
distinct characters all
depict autumn and
its photographers.
PicsArt Monthly |23

PicsArt Monthly |25
@gravest
@moontjuh

PicsArt Monthly |27
@ebepwpics

PicsArt Monthly |29
@benjamiin87

PICSART EFFECTS
OFFER A RANGE
OF SUBTLE
CHANGES

PicsArt Monthly |31
Yes, with PicsArt
you can transform
your photos into
everything from
a cartoon to a
100-year-old
Daguerreotype
photograph. But
PicsArt effects
also offer a range
of more subtle
changes that give
the discriminating
eye a lot of options
to choose from.
This variety makes
the experience
working with your
photos rich and
experimenta. Here
you can see one
photo done four
ways: with the
Cinerama, Dodger,
Film, and Vintage
Ivory effects. These
are more subtle
tweaks in tone, tint,
lighting, and focus.
Whether it’s the
soft focus and mat
colors of the Film
effect, or the crisp
and bold lighting
of the Dodger
effect, PicsArt
gives you a wide
dial with a diverse
range of visual
combinations. If
you’re someone who
likes to perfect your
photos down to
the smallest detail,
or if you look for
a variety in your
visual experiences,
PicsArt allows you
to easily switch
from option to
option until you find
one that gets your
vision exactly right.
PICSART IN ACTION

TUTORIAL : Shooting
CAPTURE THE
BEAUTY OF
DUSK
IN 5 EASY
STEPS
by Chris Corradino
Don’t Leave Before
the Show Is Over
A glorious sunset will always attract a crowd. Yet, the
moment the sun dips behind the horizon, most everyone
departs in a hurry. What they don’t realize, is how
exceptional the light can be at dusk. The 15-20 minute
window following sunset is actually the ideal time to shoot
scenic and landscape photos. Postpone your dinner plans
as the results are well worth the delay.
PicsArt Monthly |33

Pack a
Flashlight
In extremely low light,
small camera buttons and
dials become difficult to
see. A small flashlight, or
even your smartphone
can provide the proper
amount of illumination.
This also comes in handy
for navigating dark
trails and rocks. To keep
it from getting lost, I
prefer the key ring type
that can be attached
to a camera bag.
While this seems like
a common sense item,
don’t underestimate
its usefulness. Hiking
back to your car after
dusk can be dangerous
without artificial light to
lead the way.

Make Silhouettes
Work for You
The silhouette is a most effective exposure tool
that works especially well at dusk. The trick is to
set up your exposure based on the sky. In the shot, I
wanted to emphasize the crimson colors over Cape
May. By doing so, the figures are simplified to shape
and form. Without properly exposed faces, the
theme becomes less personal, and more universally
recognized. A moment between a father and son is
something most people can relate to.
PicsArt Monthly |37

PicsArt Monthly |39
No Tripod? No Problem!
It’s true, a tripod is a landscape photographer’s best friend, especially in near
darkness. Yet, there are definitely occasions where carrying one is just not possible.
With a bit of ingenuity, you can still create sharp photographs. The key is to set your
camera to the two second timer. Compose your shot with the camera resting on a
rock or bag and press the shutter release. The timer will count down for two seconds.
This is enough time to eliminate any camera shake before firing. Using this technique,
you can still use very long shutter speeds even without a tripod.

PicsArt Monthly |41
Wait for It
It’s easy to be mesmerized by the bold colors of dusk.
Yet, the photographer who works to add more visual
interest will ultimately create a better image. This can
include anything from a large wave to a flock of birds, or
people strolling along the coast. These types of moments
pass in a hurry so keep your attention focused on your
viewfinder. By expecting these situations to arise, you can
have your exposure set, and then simply wait for it.
As you can see, this type of low light photography takes
a different skill set to succeed. With these five tips
though, anyone can improve their magic hour images.
Once you experience this amazing quality of light,
there’s no doubt you’ll time your shoots at dusk more
often. Just about any type of camera can be used to
capture these kinds of shots. All of the images in this
post were created with a small Mirrorless model.

PicsArt Monthly |45
THIS EDITING
TUTORIAL
WILL BLOW
YOUR MIND…
LITERALLY
Ready to have your mind blown?
Well on PicsArt that’s easy to do. This
step-by-step tutorial will show you
how to replace your head with a flurry
of sparks. All you’ll need is a photo of
yourself and a photo of fireworks in a
dark-sky. The rest is elementary once
you know how it’s done.
TUTORIAL : Editing

CLONE
From the Tools menu, select the Clone Tool.
Select an area of background near your head,
then brush over your head to disappear it
from your body.

PicsArt Monthly |47
UPLOAD
Upload a photo of yourself in a field, where
there’s lots of space for some serious fireworks.

FINAL TOUCHES
Position the fireworks over where your head
used to be and select the Eraser to erase
undesired parts of the firework image. Add an
effect, like Dodger, to give your end product
its own character.

PicsArt Monthly |49
ADD PHOTO
Select the Add Photo icon. Adjust the opacity
of the added photo and select the Screen
mode for it. This will eliminate the black
in your photo to seamlessly integrate the
fireworks!

TUTORIAL : Drawing
PicsArt Monthly |51
HOW TO DRAW
A CASTLE, USING
PICSART
DRAWING TOOLS
The month of November: the air is cooler,
crisper, almost mysterious, and change is all
around. You could say it has an element of
fantasy that can be inspiring to the artist in us
all. PicsArt holds the doors wide open to that
world of fantasy and creation, and anyone
can enter.
This step-by-step tutorial on drawing a
whimsical castle, a home to fantasy, is an ideal
way to feed and spark your creativity. You’ll
find it doesn’t take a professional to make art.
Draw this castle and make it a home for your
royal world of imagination.
Follow the steps below and learn how to draw
an extravagant fortress.

ADD SHADING
Add shading in separate layers with a black brush. Areas closer to the
foreground need lighter shading, so reduce the opacity to around
10%, while darker shades for shadows and areas in the back should
be reduced to around 55%. Adjust for layers in between.

PicsArt Monthly |53
DRAW AN OUTLINE
Create a very rough outline of your castle. Reduce its opacity, add
a new layer, and trace a more precise outline. Repeat this process,
and delete rougher outlines when you have traced a clean and
precise final outline.

ADVANCED
LIGHTING/SHADING
Add advanced lighting and shading by using translucent spray
brushes of white, black, and also blue to reflect the sky. Create two
layers in the back to draw a blue sky and the clouds on top of it.

PicsArt Monthly |55
ADD COLORS
In a layer between your shading and outline, color in your castle,
deciding the color for walls, windows, roofs, etc. You may want to
hide shading layers while you do this.

DRAW THE FINAL
DETAILS
In a final new layer, use a thin black brush to draw details like the
stones in the walls of your castle or lines along the roofs. Save and
confirm when done.

TUTORIAL : DESIGN
Design
Your Own
Thanksgiving
Card with
PicsArt
This Thanksgiving, make
a personalized holiday
card using these simple
steps and the PicsArt’s
Photo Studio. It’s always
very difficult to think of
what to give your friends
and loved ones on the
holidays. The card is sure
to be more intimate,
thoughtful, and telling
of your creativity. It’s a
hand/heart-made gesture
for those near and far to
show how grateful you are
to have them in your life.
PicsArt Monthly |59

Add
Your Card
Choose to Add a Shape. For a traditional
card, go with the square, but feel free to
choose any shape. Place the shape onto
the area of your background image that
you want your text to be in.

PicsArt Monthly |61
Choose
Your Background
In PicsArt’s Studio, choose Photo, and pick the
photo you’d like to use as the background of
your Thanksgiving card. Afterwards, click the
brush to enter Drawing mode.

Integrate Your Card in
Your Background
Select Eraser tool to erase parts of your
background that you don’t want covered
by the card, in this case, leaving the
impression that the card is actually amidst
the leaves. Bring the card’s Opacity back to
100% and save your progress.

PicsArt Monthly |63
Adjust
Opacity
Click Layers and decrease the Opacity
of your selected area to be able to see
the background.

Final
Touches
You can change the color of your clipart
message. Choose the Multiply mode for the
clipart. Finally, give your image an effect. In
this card, we used the Dodger effect.

PicsArt Monthly |65
Choose Your
Thanksgiving Message
Enter Clipart and choose your favorite
messages from the Thanksgiving Wishes
clipart package.

INSPIRATION : COLLAGE
CARRIE’S COLLAGE
PAINTINGS WED RETRO
WITH FANTASY
PicsArt Drawing Tools are an artistic resource
that go way beyond custom brushes. With the
ability to work in layers, they allow you to spin a lot
of plates at the same time in your drawing space,
working on different pieces separately and deciding
precisely how you want them to come together.
No user embodies the potential of working in
layers better than carrie delgadillo (@cdelgadillo),
who cleverly uses layers to create art that has
loads of imagination and energy.
She pulls photos, borders, frames, and masks into
different layers, where she alters and tweaks
them. She controls what she brings to the front or
hides at the back, and uses shapes and brushes
to paint and spray on colors and patterns that
glue it all together.

@cdelgadillo
Her work has a hint of retro, with antique themes that use all
kinds of images, creating a zany and vaudevillian feel. Each
painting has a wild mix of characters, props and scenery. It’s
crazy, it’s powerful, and it’s beautiful.
PicsArt Monthly |67

@cdelgadillo

PicsArt Monthly |69
@cdelgadillo

@cdelgadillo

PicsArt Monthly |71
@cdelgadillo

@cdelgadillo

PicsArt Monthly |73 @cdelgadillo

@cdelgadillo

PicsArt Monthly |75
@cdelgadillo

@cdelgadillo

PicsArt Monthly |77
@cdelgadillo

@cdelgadillo

PicsArt Monthly |79
@cdelgadillo

What's New

PicsArt Monthly |81
PICSART CEO:
BUILDING
THE LARGEST
NETWORK
OF CREATIVES
This month we celebrate PicsArt’s third
birthday and thanks to you, our loyal
community, we have a lot of great
memories to look back on as we continue to
build the largest network for creatives. New
tools in our toolkit and a larger collection
of amazing images have made us one of
the most downloaded photo editing and
drawing apps in the world, with over 175
million installs across all platforms.
The key to our success is our
community-driven approach. The changes
and improvements we make are often
the result of your feedback. For example,
you asked us to revisit our contest rules,
pointing out issues that affected fairness.
Revamping the contests led to a 10-20%
increase in participation and a fairer playing
ground for all.
To highlight what our community likes
most, we have added a Popular feed and
have made improvements to our Featured
feed. Moving forward, these will be just two
of many dynamic feeds, which we believe
will make PicsArt better than ever as a place
for discovery and collaboration, resulting in
millions of viral images.
To inspire fair collaboration and to
restrict image editing and sharing without
permission, we recently expanded the
#freetoedit tag to iOS, giving everyone a
seat at the creative table. This launch is a
big effort in promoting collaboration and
protecting your images by limiting illegal
borrowing. Consider the cooperative spirit
of #freetoedit as the first step in introducing
new modes of teamwork and shared
resources among our community.
There is so much more to come, as we work
tirelessly to improve the app and keep up
with your creative needs. A couple of things
coming your way, based on your requests,
are a new and improved interface and
greater resolution for images.
Additionally, we are working on a
Reputation System, which promises
recognition for our most loyal and talented
PicsArtists. We’ve already taken the first
step and gone live with official accounts.
Look out for our new validation mark that
confirms the official accounts of celebrities,
companies, and featured users.
Just like any growing app, we have had our
fair share of growing pains and we thank
you for sticking with us through them.
The PicsArt team is grateful that you have
helped us recognize and overcome them.
Our organization works hard to ensure that
you continue to enjoy creating and sharing
with us. Thank you for your continued
support. From ideas for new features to
suggestions for contests, we love hearing
from you.
Kind Regards,
Hovhannes Avoyan
PicsArt
CEO and Founder

@alinnaart

THE MISTAKE MAKES THE ART:
GLITCHPHOTOGRAPHY
Before digital photography, it was normal to see imperfections
in photos: specs of dust, glare, blur, fingerprints, or chemical
effects from the darkroom. Indeed, there were many ways
to manipulate photos right after developing them. So the
final outcome of how a photo looked during the analog
era could go in many directions.
The digital era ushered in “clean” photography.
Digital cameras reproduce amazingly clear, precise
images, generally without blemishes. While it is
a powerful method that has widened the world
of photography, it also takes away the
element of chance and surprise
that existed in the analog age.
Digital photography is highly
dependable and stable,
even for those who are
amateurs.
PicsArt Monthly |83

@rabidmayday

@fattyben

In the past few
years, a number
of photographers
and artists have
been finding ways
to reintroduce
“mistakes” in their
work through
digital interference.
Enter the rise of
“glitch” art.
By using
digital forms of
interference, artists
are manipulating
their work in new
ways. Instead
of the physical
manipulations and
chance mistakes in
analog photography,
these artists are
manipulating
pixilation, colors,
stripes, and other
digital factors
to renew glitch
photography,
establishing it as a
solid new trend.
PicsArt Monthly |87

88 | PicsArt Monthly @fattyben

@rabidmayday

One can find a number of
interesting, unique artists’
feeds on PicsArt, Instagram, and
Tumblr which explore glitch art
in fascinating ways. The trend
has gone beyond photography,
entering the works of video
artists, filmmakers, and
painters. It’s a form to definitely
look out for and possibly
explore in your own work.
PicsArt Monthly |91

INERVIEW
Kirsty Mitchell
CReates Photos
Inspired by
her MOther’s
Fairy Tales
PicsArt Monthly |95

PicsArt Monthly |97
Wonderland is a
project in which British
photographer Kirsty
Mitchell creates
fairytales through still
images. Her photos
have a stunning level of
detail, which is amazing
considering she shoots
on location with models,
crafting her costumes
and props by hand on
a shoestring budget.
Behind the fantasies,
however, is a touching
real-life story.
Wonderland began
in Kirsty’s childhood,
when her mother, an
English teacher, would
read her favorite stories
to Kirsty. “She used to
read to me all the time
up until my early teens,
which sounds quite
old, but it was simply
her way of sharing the
beautiful unusual books
she would
hunt down... they
were often tales from
European folklore, dark
stories, with strange
magical pictures that
stayed with me for the
rest of my life.”
Kirsty studied
photography in art
school, then switched
to fashion design, which
lead to a career that
lasted 11 years, until
everything suddenly
changed. In 2007,
she had returned to
her camera to cope
with a difficult period,
when her mother
was diagnosed with
a brain tumor. “I was
thrown into the trauma
of her treatment and
decline... I began taking
self portraits, creating
more and more elaborate
pictures, to push the real
world as far away as I
possibly could.”
Kirsty’s mother
died in 2008, and
remembering those
time when her mom
read to her as a girl,
Kirsty thought on
them as among the
most special moments
they had shared.

PicsArt Monthly |101
She tracked down
the original 1970’s
editions of her
mother’s favorite
books. “Holding them
in my hands formed a
powerful connection
back to my earliest
memories of my
mother, which were
safe and full of love...
They became my
starting point and my
inspiration.”
Photography would be
her medium, but her
fashion experience
became invaluable as
she began crafting
the costumes in her
Fairy Tale images. She
cites her time with
designer Alexander
McQueen, whose
work transcended
fashion into art,
as her greatest
inspiration, saying
her costumes are
more l ike sculptures
than clothing.

By shooting on location, Kirsty lends her work
the credibility of a real-life environment. “Sudden
hailstorms in Springtime, rainbows, bursts of sunlight
and black skies within minutes... this is something I can
never predict and always brings an extra dimension to
the work.”
Kirsty’s ideas are inspired by illustrations from her
favorite books and historical figures, which she blends
with her own sensibilities. “The costume for ‘The
White Queen’ was based on our English ‘Queen
Elizabeth I’ however the twist was that I built the
piece like a sculpture from 240 hand painted wooden
fans, so she looked like a paper doll from a child’s pop-up
book.”
Wonderland has garnered international attention and fans
all over the world. Kirsty plans on wrapping with a book and
a tour of her photos so she can share her work in person with
the people who have supported her through the years. “For me
the most exciting part is to finally celebrate my mother’s life
with the book and see new generations of children and adults
enjoy something she has inspired. I think it will take quite a
while to believe it when it is finally finished.”

DOWN THE
ROAD OF
ANTICIPATION
This potent shot of a solitary dog in the forest by
Benjamiin Van De Grift (@benjamiin2014) is
November’s photo of the month.
Benjamiin’s work stands apart with his knack for
capturing rare moments, gazes, if you will, between
the lens and his subjects. Often, his subjects include
man’s best friend, hippos, horses, and primates.
His color schemes are often cool with a striking,
warm element. This photo is no exception. A furry
mutt looking patiently out ahead, down the road,
is just that element, breathing life and mystery
into the frame. Natural lighting is his friend, and
the woods welcome his eye and our patient canine,
gracefully. Banjamiin’s shot is very November in the
way it is pensive. Moreover, it is inviting in its antici-pation
for what awaits us all down the road.

@benjamiin2014
FEATURE : Photo

SUPPLIES
DIY
Pillow
FEATURE : Tips & Tricks

SUPPLIES
2 large, white pieces of square cloth
1 orange and 1 red smaller piece of cloth
2 colors of thread (ex. white and blue)
Scissors
Pencil
Polyfill (or any cotton-like pillow stuffing)

. Sew white cloths together on three of their
sides, leaving one side open as a pocket to fill
with polyfill. After you’ve stuffed your pillow,
sew the fourth side of the pillow.
Optional: You can add another layer of
threading around the edges of the pillow for
effect.
. Draw and cut out the PicsArt logo from the
red and orange cloths.
Tip : Cut out any other shape using your
desired colors, depending on the design you
want to give your pillow.
. Sew the stuffing onto the shapes that will
go on the pillow. Flip them over and sew them
onto the pillow.
. On the backside of the pillow, use a pencil
to write the PicsArt slogan (or any message of
your choice).
. Trace your writing by threading it with a
pattern using your preferred color thread.
Tip - By tracing it with a different threading
pattern, you can achieve a different style.
STEP
BY
STEP

FEATURE : DESTINATION
A WONDERLAND OF
INSPIRATION: OVER THE
MOON WITH YVES ROCHER
By Gariné Tcholakian
Until recently, I only knew the late Yves
Rocher as the man behind the chichi
French beauty brand, whose endless
line of skincare creams and sweet
floral-scented eau de parfums were out
of my budget.
But on a trip to Northwestern France
this summer, all of that changed.
A special post-visit trip, following a
travel photography presentation I
was asked to deliver in the dreamy
storybook town of Nantes this August,
took me inland, through the majestic
countryside of neighbouring Brittany,
and into a small, surreally beautiful
town, brimming with enchantment and
exquisite tranquility.
That village, known famously to area
locals as La Gacilly, happened to be
none other than the hometown of Mr.
Yves Rocher.
It was here, amid the sweet melody
of trickling streams and floral aromas
lining the village’s cobblestoned
walkways, that I not only came
to experience the magical oasis
that inspired the man’s work, but
something all the more incredible.

Stopping me in my tracks, starring
at me in the distance across the vast
expanse of soft lush foliage, with
her notoriously piercing green eyes,
a colossal-sized canvas of Stephen
McCurry’s famous “Afghan Girl,”
whose cover on National Geographic
Magazine almost 30 years ago, would
forever redefine the world of
photojournalism we know today.

Around the bend, across the
waterfalls, amid an alley of golden-hued
vine leaves, a rare series
of photos in “Far from the War,”
capturing human life in more peaceful
times between wars, by another one of
my favourites, war photographer and
Magnum Photos founder, Robert Capa.

At each turn, I found a new exhibit, each set, a
rolling carpet of award-winning, jaw-dropping
photojournalism by the very men who shaped my
love for the craft, from Ansel Adams, to Michael
Nichols, to Russell James, to Nick Brandt and many
more of “The Greats,” as I like to call them.
Immersed in what felt like a wonderland of
inspiration, it wasn’t long before I was over the
moon. As I walked around the bend, across the
town bridge, I was delighted to see the sentiment
serendipitously reflected back to me as a life-size
photo by NASA capturing the historical moment
when man first stepped foot on the moon.

This village, as I soon learned, just so happened to also
be the grounds forFrance’s largest outdoor photograhy
festival, Festival Photo La Gacilly, founded, to my awe
and amazement, by Yves Rocher himself.

At turns compelling, powerful and evocative, each
exhibit — 20 in all, peppered throughout the village
— was exquisitely curated, each canvas perched
perfectly, almost all too naturally in fact, amid the
natural setting of Nature Herself.

Adorning the Festival Photo House entranceway, a
statement that brings it all to light, by the late Yves
Rocher’s son, Jacques, who now heads up the Yves
Rocher Foundation: “Our vocation and our mission is to
support both committed photographers and events that
highlight the state of our planet.

“Photography is an integral part of our life,” it continues. “It is the imprint of our
world, and because it seizes us and amazes us, it is essential to be alongside those
that witness the beauty of our planet.”

Festival Photo La
Gacilly, which is themed
each year around
photographers of a
particular country (2014,
the United States), is
now in its 11th year and
has to date attracted
over 2 million visitors.
The exhibition wraps up
this month (Nov. 2nd)
and will launch again in
May of 2015. And you
can bet I’ll be there, and
this time, maybe even
buy me some of that eau
de parfum.
For more information, please go to
www.festivalphoto-lagacilly.com

MARCO GIUSSANI
CAPTURES THE LIVES OF
STRANGERS
Whether he’s roaming
the cobblestone
streets of Italy, his
home country, strolling
along the canals of
Amsterdam, or
making his way through
a back alley of yet
another busy corner
of the world, Marco
Giussani’s (@marcogiuss)
street photography
shines brightest when
his lens focuses on the
people in the great
cities he explores.
@marcogiuss
FEATURE : Artist

Thousands of
micro-experiences are
scattered throughout
public spaces, coming and
going in the lives of many
inhabitants all at once.
To many, all of this comes
across as a lot of noise and
movement, but a skilled
street photographer like
Marco is able to notice
and pick out the raw
personal moments that
are so easy to miss.
Marco shoots in black and
white, the perfect palette
for work as emotional
as his. We like to remind
our readers of the Ted
Grant quote as often
as possible, “When you
photograph people in
color, you photograph
their clothes. But when
you photograph people
in black and white, you
photograph their souls!”
Take away the colors
and you’re left with a
business man rising from
his bicycle seat into the
wind, a slouching street
clown on break from
performing, an old
couple raising their eyes
from their newspapers
in surprise to an off-camera
development;
small moments that
are indicative of the
personalities that
produced them. Marco’s
shots are single frames
pulled from the greater
stories of these peoples’
lives.

@marcogiuss
@marcogiuss

@marcogiuss

@marcogiuss
@marcogiuss

@marcogiuss

@marcogiuss
@marcogiuss

PicsArt Monthly Magazine, November Issue 2014

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PicsArt Monthly Magazine, November Issue 2014