Champagne and Heels

Peaches in LA

Posted on October 23, 2017 by Hellin Kay

Peaches is playing The Standard DTLA Friday October 27th! LA, I am so jealous! Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Friday Nights, Halloween Weekend, Peaches, The Standard DTLA, What To Do in LA | Leave a comment

New Photo & Video Shoots, 2017

Posted on October 19, 2017 by Hellin Kay

Small glimpse above from one of my new advertising shoots I photographed. A lot of new work to share from the past few months: photos, videos, and a short film, written, shot and directed by me (the first narrative short I’ve done in 20 years! Will post soon…) Photos and videos from an Elie Tahari Spring 2018 lookbook I shot, styled and art directed in September, below. More soon… Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Advertising Campaigns, Anatomy, Director, Photographer, Women Filmmakers | Leave a comment

New Releases, September 2017

Posted on September 22, 2017 by Hellin Kay

So much great music out this month as well as a new film, Woodshock, the directorial debut of Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte fame, starring Kirsten Dunst and behind the scenes photography by Nan Goldin. The film, as well as Cut Copy’s latest addictive release Haiku From Zero, both come out today. You can purchase the new album here and see Cut Copy play November 10th at Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles & November 24th At NYC’s Terminal 5. Woodshock is playing at The Angelika in NYC. Also new releases from Fischerspooner today with killer remixes of “Have Fun Tonight,” off their new album Sir coming in early 2018. Their first show in eight years will be at New York’s Brooklyn Steel October 27th. Lights, whose melancholy dance tracks I got hooked on a few years ago, releases her new album Skin & Earth worldwide today as well. It is literally raining great music today. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart released their new album, The Echo of Pleasure, this week as well. If you haven’t pre-ordered the digital release yet, you can get the whole shebang here. The Head and The Heart are on tour, and released a cover of “Don’t Dream It’s Over,” today. Watch the Woodshock trailer below. Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Cut Copy, Don't Dream its over, Fischerspooner, Haiku From Zero, Lights, Nan Goldin, New releases 2017, The Head and The Heart, The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Woodshock | Leave a comment

Ai Weiwei’s Human Flow

Posted on August 18, 2017 by Hellin Kay

Ai Weiwei’s new documentary, Human Flow, filmed in 23 countries to document refugees all over the world, will be released October 13, 2017. On November 16, 2017 it will be 38 years since my mom and I left the Soviet Union as Jewish refugees with the help of Hias. January 29, 1980 we landed at JFK in NYC, after traveling for two and half months through Europe while Hias raised money for us to get from one place to the next. In that time we lived in small hotel rooms and tiny apartments rented for us by Hias in Vienna and Rome, along with groups of other refugees. We were so very lucky that Hias was taking care of us. Not everyone has that privilege. This trailer and every image of refugees shatters my heart. We must work harder and do more. The official trailer, released today, below. Continue reading →

Posted in Film | Tagged Ai Weiwei, HIAS, Human Flow, Humaniatrian, Refugees | Leave a comment

Things to Read, Watch & Eat Right Now

Posted on August 14, 2017 by Hellin Kay

This year has been a doozy. Let’s forget the obvious for a minute and focus on staying sane and happy amidst and regardless of it all while still fighting the evils at hand. I’ve been reading a lot of books this year, for research, inspiration and just plain old joy. Memoirs and biographies, short stories and essays, while I work on new projects and my own book of essays and stories about the years spent coming and going, restlessly running and staying. Everything from Jill Soloway to Mary McCarthy, Joan Didion, Kathy Acker, Meghan Daum, Germaine Greer, Joan Juliet Buck, Ariel Levy, Katie Roiphe, and this weekend, Claire Dederer‘s Love And Trouble, which is a perfect reflection of 40-something melancholy as we come full circle to who we were, are and still becoming. Now looking forward to Chris Kraus’ new biography, After Kathy Acker, which comes out August 18th. In that same pool is a great list of stuff to watch online and even Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion, Film | Tagged A Ghost Story film, Better Things FX, BYOB Restaurants NYC, Chef Wes, Claire Dederer, Insecure, Issa Rae, Joan Juliet Buck, Kathy Acker, Love and Trouble, Love on Netflix, ManuelaDTLA, New Books, Piccola Strada, What to binge | Leave a comment

Director and Cinematographer, New Reel, 2017

Posted on June 12, 2017 by Hellin Kay

Director / Cinematographer, Reel 2017 from Hellin Kay on Vimeo.

I got inspired to learn Adobe Premiere Pro two weeks ago so I could edit some of my own projects when the mood strikes and not depend on budgets or favors to get it done. When I was in film school I used to spend countless hours editing my films on a flat bed, hot splicing the negatives, weaving stories together through image and sound. It was one of my favorite things to do and editing this new reel of work was a reminder of how empowering it is to control the output of your own creative projects. The link above includes new director and cinematography work from the past two years.

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Adobe Premiere Pro, Director, Film, Filmmaker, Hellin Kay, Hire women, Music Video, New Films, Road trips, Taryn Manning, Women behind the lens, Women Directors, Women Filmmakers, women hire women, Women in Film | Leave a comment

Cecilia Kuhn

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Hellin Kay

RIP Cecilia Kuhn, an incredible woman who changed the world of music and beyond, including many of us. A founding member of punk band Frightwig, pictured above far left with her band mates Deanna Mitchell and Mia Simmons, she made it ok to be an angry girl. And for that plus much more, we thank you and love you.

Posted in Fashion | Tagged bad Ass, Cecilia Kuhn, Deanna Mitchell, Drummer, Feminist hero, Frightwig, Mia Simmons, Punk Legend | Leave a comment

Taryn Manning Music Video

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Hellin Kay

The music video I directed, shot and styled for Taryn Manning was released today. Check out the full video below. I captured it on a Canon digital camera as well as my constant go to 16mm Bolex film camera, with all natural and available light, at my friend’s incredible Grasmere Estate in Rhinebeck, New York, my favorite place to shoot. Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Bolex, Director, Film, Grasmere, Hellin Kay, Netflix, New Music, New Season, OITNB, Orange Is The New Black, Season 5, Shot on Film, Spoiler, Taryn Manning, Video | Leave a comment

Beth Ditto, Solo Debut Album

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Hellin Kay

Goddess Beth Ditto makes her solo debut with Fake Sugar, which hits June 16th. In the meantime, the first single was released today. Listen to “Fire” below and buy it here. Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Beth Ditto, Fake Sugar, Fire, New Music, Solo Debut | Leave a comment

Erin Fetherston Fall 2017 Shoot

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Hellin Kay

I was going through all the photo shoots I did for designer Erin Fetherston last year and realized I never posted anything from our fall 2016 shoot, which we did last summer with models Sarah Wilson and Ari Cooper. I photographed three months worth of Ecomm, social media, editorial and advertising imagery in one day. By 5PM I was sunburned, dazed and exhausted but I got some of my favorite photos out of that shoot. More editorial, advertising, and marketing photos below. The Ecomm wasn’t as exciting. Hair by Kelli Christine, make up by Lauren Urasek. Continue reading →

Posted in Fashion | Tagged Advertising, Are Cooper, Editorial, Erin Fetherston, Kelli Christine, Lauren Urasek, Photo Shoot, Sarah Wilson Model | Leave a comment