Quick announcement/Casting Call

Hey to all! just posting out a quick announcement! I'm currently looking for any Models who mighte be interested in doing some head-makeup trials/shots, Elemental themed shoots and a saree shoot.

for the head-makeup shoot any female models are fine

For the elemental shoots (i.e fire, forest/green, ice, sun) I would prefer a blonde,redhead and/or oriental model

For the saree shoot of course I'm looking for an asian continental model (i.e. Indian, Pakistan, Sri Lankan, etc)

If you're interested just drop me a line, email, comment or post it on my wall to let me know availability. You never need to have done modeling before.

Also if anyone does makeup or styling and is interested in helping out in the project feel free to drop me a line. These shoots are for portfolio purposes so all those involved will get copies of the images for their own portfolio, and if any further uses are found, particularly commercial you will be informed :)

Hope to hear from lots fo you soon!!!

Sorry for the delay

Aha! I finally have found time to write on the blog, so this is actually last week's post, and another one this week will shortly follow.

Unfortunately for those who read about photomonth, it has been a crazy heck month for me, between finding a flat mate, a social life and writing my script(which I am avoiding doing by writing this.

Also! i am now on facebook!Thats right I have a fan page now, so if youre on it Join me! i will be sending out regular updates about blog posts and any other notices. the address is http://www.facebook.com/wall.php?id=61001487&banter_id=36700613&show_all=#/pages/Sharan-Balani-Photographer/34393581020?ref=s

Now onto the important part! this weeks photos that I have slowly and steadily begun editing from my piles of backlogged photos were taken in Pittsburgh where to pass the time in this lonely town I met up with a model (who is coincidentally the wife of a fellow photographer whose work is incredible). I didnt particularly have any idea's in mind when I came to the shoot, since the model brought all the dress and had a friend of hers, a makeup artist come to the location to help with the makeup, so the concepts for the shoot were made up on the fly.

this first one after seeing her try on the dress I thought a Doll look/theme would work so as the makeup artist go to work I found some chains which I felt might add some contrast to the pictures.








I would also like to mention the previous week on Friday I had the happy oportunity to photograph the infamous Bollywood (or Indian Cinema as he likes to call it) Director Karan Johar for one of my clients. Unfortunately Pics wont come up till after the pictures have been published. But for all my asian fans, keep an eye out ;)

Comming soon: (once I manage to liberate enough space on my laptop for it) CS4 Reviews!

News Bits Tuesday (Or possibly wednesday by the time I finish reading this)

Firstly I would Like to mention the new Change of Name to the site. The blog has oficially changed regimes! It is no longer the painstaking www.pandamonium-arts.com. It has now merged into what I hope will be an easier address to remember, and one more relevant to myself as a photographer. I am proud to take live blog.sbalaniphotography.com. However I wont bore you with too many details, considering I have plenty of news to impart today.

Firstly to enrich your already presumably bored eyes, a few more Images of Manhattan that I forgot to upload from my recent adventures in the land of the Hot Dog and the European Rip off's.






Okay so now that youre eye buds have been satisfied on to the important news:

- It turns out that this last month of October in London is known as the photomonth. Turns out there are a variety of photography based events all over london, particularly the East side. Events including photowalks, Talks, Seminars, Shows etc, and of course I will be trying to keep a track of whats left of it on this blog, so keep an eye. Below I'll list some of upcomming events, and if any of you are interested leave a post and we can link up :D. Keep an eye on this space for future details on the rest of the events of the month:

- 18th October Photowalk @ Bank Street Tube from 10.30am to 1.30pm. (This event is free, you just need to show up at the event)
- 19th October Spitafield Shoot photowalk. (This event is a little more monitored by professionals so it costs 11 pounds per person, and basically they give you a photo treasure hunt with objectives and tasks to push your creative limit) This one is done in groups of four so if its of interested PLEASE contact me because I'm looking for people to photograph with.

More Comming soon... :)

Catching up

Prior to my trip to the United States I had attended the Benalmadena Anime/Comic/Roleplaying convention in Malaga, Spain. I find cons are always a fun and interesting event as there are always people dressed up as cosplayers more than happy to pose for photos



Although I've been to cons before, this was my first one as a photographer resulting in more challenges than I had anticipated, and coming to realisations that some things could have been done easier than the way I had done it. However its always a learning experience. I took the oportunity to get to know people within the communities making it, of course easier for me to get what I needed done for future cons.



My next challenge is to attend one of the UK cons, which are considerably bigger, and of course brimming with quality cosplay's just waiting to be photographed. I was planning to go to the upcomming london expo, but with recent developments I may find myself that weekend in Madrid attendind a photo marathon. We'll see how things turn out

The City Of Angels

Although New York was the first city I chose to talk about regarding my trip to the United States, My first destination was in fact Los Angeles, the city of angels. This was another city that I thoroughly enjoyed visiting. Both cities were certainly nothing like what I was expecting, least of which was inspiring. Each city had its own little quirks and beauties. Although one of the things I hated most about LA was having to drive anywhere. That and the general absence of a guide in LA makes it seem like any other city. But then again a city is only as interesting as you know it. I was fortunate enough to have my Aunt take me around the city, hunting for galleries and the slightly more interesting parts of town. Hence where I discovered the thrift shops that would make portobello road market cry. The ammount of props, and availablity for the old, strange and unnatural bewildered me as I was coming up with creative uses the more I saw. Albeit I found it Oddly disturbing though that more victorian/ post victorian era antiquities were available in American thrift stores than say here in England where it all originated from...does that mean we as Europeans have exported our past to America?




One of my family's favorate places in LA to visit was the Farmers Market. A little dodgy gem of a place tucked away in a relatively high end open air mall called the grove. Its name clearly gives away the ambience of what it essentially is and is not. Whilst fresh fruits and veggies were of course available, Its also a collection of small open air restaurants mostly serving natural or home made goods, such as creppes, or banana leaf type restaurants