Tag: the huffington post

Becoming a Supermodel with the Help of a Supermodel

Yearly thousands of young kids reach out to modeling agencies in the hopes of becoming a model. They call, send pictures and letters in the mail, show up unannounced at the agency’s doorsteps, and call relentlessly to follow up, hoping to find a place in the spotlight. These girls and boys have no guidance or frame of reference. With that in mind, supermodel Claudia Mason, one of the members of that elite group of girls who made a name for themselves in the 90’s (alongside Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington); decided to lend a hand. With the new book “Finding the Supermodel in You – An Insider’s Guide to Teen Modeling”, Mason draws from her experiences as a model, breaking down the entire profession bit by bit.

Other than articles found online briefly describing the inner works of an agency, a model’s career, or modeling schools, there’s very little objective and helpful information that can be obtained to help in a model’s pursuit. Not only that, but modeling schools who are supposed to guide and manage aspiring models, many times are no more than a very expensive source of useless advice. These companies seem to be more concerned with padding their bank accounts rather than honestly selecting talent that has potential for a career in a very selective industry.

Claudia speaks from experience, from many years of trial and errors in which she navigated pretty much every scenario a model wannabe can dream of. Mason’s tips range from what type of clothing to wear when meeting agents and clients, to what foods to eat and which beauty products to pick at the drugstore.

Claudia’s career started when she was only fifteen years old. This native New Yorker was a dance student and professionally trained by some of the best the Big Apple had to offer. After her health prevented her from moving forward with her dream of being a professional dancer, fate took her for a spin. One afternoon after school, Claudia was approached by a model agent who saw potential in the young girl. Claudia’s first modeling job was with the legendary photographer Richard Avedon, who repeatedly brought her back for other shoots throughout the years. Mr. Avedon shot Claudia for multiple Vogue covers and editorials, various campaigns for Versace, among others. Claudia was “One of the Most Beautiful Women in the World“ according to her Revlon ad. This was the late eighties. Concerned with her studies, Claudia’s parents put a break on her career until she finished school.

By the time she returned to the scene at age 18, the nineties were in full swing and Claudia fit right in the middle of that famous supermodel group. The credits attached to her name speak for themselves: campaigns for brands like Fendi, Louis Vuitton, Christian Lacroix, Gianfranco Ferre, Gianni Versace and Versace Jeans; magazine covers for titles such as Vogue, W, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Elle and Mademoiselle and an enviable list of photographers which includes Steven Meisel, Steven Klein, Helmuth Newton, Irving Penn, Bruce Weber, Patrick Demarchelier and Mario Testino to name a few. Her list of runway shows would be far too extensive to mention, but it’s no less iconic. Claudia Mason had arrived!

As this girl’s career progressed from model to supermodel, Claudia started integrating some of her other passions into her bookings. Mason dove into acting as well as TV hosting, which landed her the top position on Mtv’s “Fashionably Loud“, a cross between fashion and music in one TV show. Her acting brought her awards in theater and many positive reviews by top critics. Upon her return to New York in 2010, amidst bookings with Katie Grand for Love Magazine and Vogue Russia, Claudia began to refocus her energy and work on a plan for her next career phase.

The tireless supermodel decided this was the time to give back to the world some of the good things she earned. She turned a negative health scare into a positive action and joined the American Stroke Association as a spokesperson, bringing awareness to an issue that affects men and women of all ages around the globe. On that same year she also began developing a TV show, which is currently in pre-production. Somehow, in the middle of all this, she still found time to work in movies and write a book – this, her biggest passion project.

In her guide to teen modeling, Claudia hopes to shed some light on matters that have been obscure to most people. She has no problems speaking out about health issues and drugs, topics that have always surrounded the modeling profession in the eye of the media. The model considers herself lucky for being able to work and still be close to home and her family, a luxury that most girls can’t afford. She also found a team that supported and protected her every step of the way.

With this book, Claudia is a part of her reader’s team. The author keeps things simple, the goal is not to pontificate, but to maintain an open dialog. Mason created check lists for the young girls and approached the industry’s top professionals to make sure that her reader would receive the best information available from every area of the business.

Claudia’s career is a brilliant example of fortitude and creativity. Here is a woman who was never afraid to brake boundaries and try new approaches. Because of that Claudia was able to live out all her dreams. Now Claudia enters a new phase, one that is more mature but not less exciting, one that aims to bring the dreams of many aspiring models to reality too.

Article originally published in The Huffington Post Books, April 2016

The Hopeless State of Brazil

During a recent visit to Porto Alegre, my hometown in Brazil, I went to the supermarket for groceries. As my turn at the checkout approached my phone rang and I launched into an animated conversation, in English, with my American boyfriend. Suddenly I felt a presence around me. As I looked up from the groceries I was placing on the belt I saw eyes peering at me. The bagging boy whispered something inaudible to the neighboring check out girl and I decided it would be best to end the call. I said hello, in Portuguese, to the cashier who had her eyes wide staring at me. She answered with a murmur. After she finished checking my items she did not give me the final amount aloud, as they usually do, but pointed to the screen while staring back at me, as if her life was in danger. I gave her exact change and all of a sudden the woman behind me in line tapped my shoulder.

“I’m sorry to bother, but why are there so many Americans in town?” She asked in good english, as I anticipated.

The three surrounding registers and the bagging boys all stared at us, anxiously waiting for an answer. I told her I am in fact a local who lives abroad, visiting my family. That did not suffice.

“Why on earth would you come here?” Asked the checkout girl.

“Where do you live?” Inquired the next one.

“Are you really spending the holidays HERE!?” questioned the boy.

The general consensus was that I had lost my mind.

“Why would you come back here?” The question lingered with me several days after that.

I had not been to Brazil in several years. The recent developments of my country’s political and economic state frightened me, not to mention a spike in violence that has not been witnessed in nearly twenty years. The type of violence that affects all layers of the population from housekeepers, taxi drivers and waiters to CEO’s, TV personalities and everyone in between is a petty violence. They steal because they want your Tupperware with food, to feed their hunger; or your cellphone to trade for crack. Sometimes, more regularly than not, they’ll kill for a chunk of change, they don’t know any other way. It’s a lawless state.

National magazines print stories covering a mass exodus of Brazil nationals attempting to build their lives on solid ground in North America or Australia. Hell, anywhere but there. It’s a hopeless state.

The population revolts and takes to the streets. The government, corrupt all the way to the top, buys votes, steals money and rips to shreds an economy built strong over the course of two decades. There is no education, no healthcare and no public safety to speak of. Brazil is today a country with no infrastructure, but it’s still a beautiful country. Brazil has insurmountable beauty, incredible fun and joy to offer. Tourism may very well be it’s last threshold and hope.

I left Brazil in the pursuit of a dream, several years ago at the height of its economic boom. Americans would look at me in shock wondering why would I ever want to abandon such a paradise especially when the country was performing so well. Truth be told, I had serious doubts that the mentality of the population and its politicians had changed so rapidly. Unfortunately, I was right.

Today from where I stand, I see several people I know plotting an escape plan. I see several people I don’t know having to sell homes they never actually moved into because they aren’t able to keep up with inflation and interest rates. Brazil has in less than a decade created a real estate bubble of gargantuan proportions, similar to the one that took the United States half a century to build up. Brazil’s bubble is bursting, what’s worse, the little hope Brazilian citizens had in the future of its country is gone. The population stopped believing in the system, more than that, the population stopped believing in the population. The citizens of Brazil stopped believing they are in fact the decision makers, they stopped believing that they are in fact capable of affecting change.

The people of Brazil are so afraid of losing the bread crumbs the government throws at them, that they keep quiet. No one sues the government because they already know the judiciary will not push their suit forward. One alone, may be weak, but what about the hundreds of thousands of people who suffered together at the hand of President Collor and still have not received a penny back since 1992? Why aren’t all these people banding together to fight the country for the money that is rightfully theirs? Because the people lost faith in the people. The people are afraid of the people. It’s a snowball effect that allows for the Brazilian government to stay its course of thievery and impunity.

The impoverished population who had no access to decent homes, or any credit for that matter, all of a sudden saw the hands of bankers and lenders opening up. Suddenly families of six who shared a one-room home had flat-screens, laptops and nicer clothes. These families were immediately elevated to the status of middle class. But elevated by whom? The government, who saw fit to show the world how rapid change was possible in Brazil. It was all an illusion.

When the government believes it’s more important for the people to have material possessions (and debt) instead of education and access to healthcare, there is definitely a strong misconception. When the population becomes so desperate that they have to steal food from their fellows standing at bus stops in order to feed themselves, the country enters a dark age. My feeling upon returning to Brazil was of anguish, and this feeling was shared with every person I came in contact with during my trip. The disappointment of seeing firsthand what it’s like for people to turn against each other because their government is busy spending the people’s money on better homes and vacations for themselves is painful, it’s revolting.

I wish I could pose a solution to these issues, but I can hardly wrap my head around the problems of Brazil. For the moment I offer my thoughts and hope for better days. This country has stood in the dark for much longer than it’s seen the light. It’s time to change.

Originally published in The Huffington Post / WorldPost, Feb 2016

How Models Taught Me it is OK to Miss Home

One of my assignments on fourth grade was to read a book about a girl who traveled abroad on an exchange student program. This was a thoroughly engaging tale of chasing independence, dealing with language barrier, new cultures and experiencing feeling homesick for the first time. After the class had read the book and turned in the essays, the school arranged for the author to come in to give a lecture. The girl was probably no more than ten years our senior and had attended our school. I had a transcendental experience, it was the first time I had met someone who had actually left home and gone some place else. Everything started to make sense to me. Everything, but the idea of feeling homesick.

“Why would she be crying just because she wasn’t home?” I didn’t get it. To me, getting out should feel more like a blessing than a curse. There was nothing wrong with my family or my upbringing, but I felt a longing for life abroad ever since I can remember. It made no sense and I could not explain it, I only knew how I felt.

A few years later, when I was eighteen, I finally got my first opportunity to go somewhere. I didn’t exactly make it out of Brazil but I was moving from Porto Alegre to São Paulo, which was significant. I was the first in my family to take such a big step and one of my first friends to go anywhere, for good. Think of it as moving from Charleston to New York. It was huge!

I remember dealing with models who were very young (but not much younger than I was), most of them between 14 and 16 years old. Many girls adjusted well to the life in the biggest metropolis of Brazil, pounding the pavement trying to make it in the world of modeling. A few others however, had terrible bouts of depression and loneliness and broke down quickly. Every now and then a girl would come into the office crying and desperate to get on the phone with her mother, just because she missed her parents or felt overwhelmed by the size of the city. I couldn’t relate with that feeling. I never cried, I never felt separated, I never felt distant. I was happy. What could be better than pursuing a career in one of the best modeling agencies in the world?

The first few months in my new city went by smoothly. I had to travel down south a couple of times to gather more of my belongings, so I still maintained a fairly close connection with my family. I didn’t have a place of my own, I was couch surfing with a friend of a friend until I figured things out. The distance from where I was staying to work was enormous. I had to take two buses and the journey could last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, and that’s not counting the late nights. The neighborhood was not only dangerous but the buses took longer than usual, as they ran more infrequently. As the challenges grew I began to understand, to a small degree, what some of those girls might have felt too.

Many years have passed since those first months in Sao Paulo. I now live in New York and find myself experiencing unique layers of emotional pain. It’s been three years since the last time I’ve been home. A series of events kept me from making the trip back from New York, including a break up, a green card and a new apartment. Life happened and before I knew it I found myself feeling anxious and irritable. I became an emotional wreck. I watch cartoons and I cry, the Lipitor commercials come on TV and I cry, I listen to music and I cry, heck, even Homeland has been making me cry. I have become a running joke among the people who know me.

I send Christmas cards with corny pictures of me and my cat, I write letters, I FaceTime. I used to denounce the holidays; now I love them. These days I celebrate tradition, and all I long for is a home of my own. For this person, who always believed in being independent and in belonging to the world, it’s quite a change. Could I be homesick?

Through a very painful process of shedding layers of pride and old resentments I believe I finally got to a point where I am able to accept my roots for what they are. I can finally admit that indeed I do miss home and all the drama that can be attached to it. My life may not be in the south of Brazil, but that doesn’t mean I have to abandon it all behind.

I’ve grown to admire and enjoy some of the traditions from my home country and state. I am proud of our beautiful sunsets, the tree-lined streets, the quality of life, the cultural vain that beats stronger than in most parts of that country. I celebrate the gaucho culture, our funny musical accent and even our orange (or is it red?) taxi cabs.

Being home is an opportunity to remember, recharge and reconnect. Going back gives me the chance to look at how far I’ve come and how capable I am of chasing dreams and goals that sometimes feel unsurmountable. When I’m homesick I realize that all those things were possible because of where I came from. The fact that I came from a reality so distant from the goals I was looking to achieve made me even more resilient. Home may be difficult, but it’s unlike any other place I’ve been to. Home is provincial, but it’s where some of my most special memories and connections are. As I age and experience life on life’s terms, I also realize that home is always going to be the place I turn to for reference and support, no matter where I end up.

Originally published in THE HUFFINGTON POST on Novemeber, 2015

Huffington Post, 2015

Gabriel Ruas Santos Rocha Spills What its Really Like to be a Model Agent

By Shawn Reinoehl, Contributor

Fashion Photographer With A New Approach To Fashion/Editorial Blogging.

10/20/2015 11:21am EDT 

New York, London, Milan and Paris; what do these cities have in common? They are the epicenter where fashion comes to life on the runways. Designers, models, editors, influencers, all come together to make it happen twice a year for fashion week. One of the key players that sets trends and pushes boundaries in the modeling business is the agent that represents models at top modeling agencies around the world.

Gabriel Ruas Santos Rocha is a senior agent at Trump Models and he has graced the fashion industry with his creative eye, sharp mind, and tenacity in the way he envisions what a model should envelop. If that means whether they’re tall, thin, curvy, or has that editorial look that hasn’t been seen before, Gabriel and other agents around the world have an influence on what is in, or out. I had the opportunity to ask Gabriel questions about fashion, modeling, trends, and what this whole process of fashion means to him and everyone else that can’t get enough of fashion.

Shawn Reinoehl What does fashion mean to you?
Gabriel Rocha Fashion is an art form, it is more than making clothes, it’s a way of expressing oneself, telling stories, showing personalities. Creating fashion is not just about putting out a dress on a runway.

SR How did you get involved with modeling agencies? 
GR A girlfriend of mine who was asked to meet with Marilyn Agency to be a model didn’t want to go by herself, so she asked me to tag along. I met the director of the agency and after that meeting we would occasionally run into each other. One day I got a call from her asking if I wanted to join their team; she said she felt my personality would be a good fit for the agency. I was intrigued, so I went for that meeting and 13 years later, I’m still in the business.

SR Of the models you’ve worked with, who are some of your favorites?
GR I have represented many great ones but I have to say some of the most inspiring models are probably Michelle Alves, Maggie Rizer, Julia Nobis, Shirley Mallmann and Caroline Ribeiro. Those girls are real muses to me.

SR Your favorite fashion era and why? 
GR Aesthetically I love the 70’s, there was so much going on at that time, from disco to glam rock and the looks were so elaborate and bold, it was a totally exciting time period for fashion in general. I also love where we are today, because it’s sort of a “best of” generation. We’ve been borrowing the best things from each previous decade and tweaking it to make it a little more modern and I like that. I like that pretty much everything is accepted, it’s all about embracing a look with confidence.

SR Who are your top three designers? 
GR At the moment Dries Van Noten, Givenchy and Celine. Ever, I would include McQueen, when he was still around and also John Galliano, he is an absolute genius!

SR How long have you been in the fashion industry? 
GR Thirteen years, but it feels like nothing!

SR In the fashion world, fresh is a must, what trends have you seen with the way models look?
GR when I started, the trend in beauty was between Brazilian and Russian models, very beautiful and sexy girls. Slowly after that the trend shifted a little bit more towards girls who looked a little bit like birds, meaning, big eyes, pointy nose, little chin, more of a round face, you know… Then it became a little bit more all American and pretty, like, the girl next door, reminding me a little bit of the 90’s when girls were just stunning and appeared more like someone you would want to be friends with. I particularly loved the grunge period in the late 90’s, I think fashion was very exciting at that time.

SR Are there super models today, or was that a product of the 90’s?
GR Yes, there are definitely supermodels today. The industry went through a period when there weren’t any, perhaps Gisele Bundchen was the only one around, for nearly a decade, but slowly they came back. I think at the moment some of the girls who could be compared with the original supermodels are Joan Smalls and Karlie Kloss.

SR Is skinny still in? 
GR Skinny is still in, very much so – but healthy too; skinny and healthy.

SR If a girl wanted to become a model what are some requirements she must meet in order to become one? 
GR 5’9 height, hips below 35 inches, good skin and good genes, self-confidence and patience, lots of patience.

SR What’s next in your career? 
GR I’d like to make bigger contributions to the industry and perhaps guide aspiring models and agents in a broader spectrum, away from the booking table and out in the universe.

SR If you could be on a TV show or reality show which show would it be? 
GR Oh, anything that Nigella Lawson could be involved in, I think she is absolutely fabulous!

SR What inspires you? 
GR Creativity and open-mindedness in others, that always gives me desire to do more and create new things.

SR Top three fashion photographers you adore?
GR I will stick with ones who are alive: Steven Meisel, Daniel Jackson, Lachlan Bailey and Ryan McGinley.

SR Where do you see fashion going in the next few years? 
GR Oh I haven’t a clue!

SR What projects are you working on?
GR At the moment I am working on a project that tells stories from the industry with a fresh perspective, should be out by next year.

SR When are you the busiest at your job? 
GR For me the most stressful times are the ones preceding the fashion season, when we have to make sure everything is organized for what’s about to take place, in line with strategy and brand development. 

SR What’s your favorite season?
GR Autumn, no doubt!

SR Do you see plus models replacing the thin girls on the runways? 
GR No, but I like that they’re more present each day.

You will find the original Huffington Post interview here.

On Beating the Taboo of Spirituality and Creating a Better Life

Spirituality is taboo. No matter how open minded we are, there’s a glimpse of a thought that prevents us from launching into the topic as we would about a TV show or a play. Whether we hold back to assess the situation and those around us, there is always that voice that whispers “proceed with caution” in the back of our heads.

Over the years I’ve seen spirituality expressed around me in many different ways. It was this flora of beliefs and practices that helped me find my own expression. I’ve found that people make their connection through religion, meditation, music, dance, support groups and study, to name a few. All of the aforementioned fascinate me for the way that each person builds their own individual relationship with something that is greater and more powerful than themselves. The sum of these examples have touched me in different ways.

I have never considered myself a religious person. I grew up in the south of Brazil, an area predominantly Catholic. My grandmother enrolled me in Sunday school, I was confirmed, joined the Boy Scouts and all that stuff that most kids don’t like to be associated with. I didn’t love those obligations, but I didn’t hate them either. The stories from the bible fascinated me. It was such a different world from the one I lived in. The 10 commandments baffled me. Not stealing? I get it, but some of that stuff just didn’t seem realistic to the 10-year-old version of myself.

Around that same time I met Berenice, my first English teacher. Berenice was Jewish, something completely new to me. I asked her questions, poked around and soon discovered that many of my classmates (in the Catholic school I attended) were Jewish too. I grew fascinated by their rituals and culture; moreover, I was fascinated by the sense of community they possessed. I immediately wanted to be one of them.

One of our religion class teachers, Pedro, was the epitome of cool, and the precise opposite of all other religion teachers, who were middle-aged nuns. Pedro brought his guitar to class, sang songs and created a stimulating environment in which we were invited to ask questions. In his classes we learned more not only about Catholicism, but all religions: Buddhism, Judaism, Islamism, the Amish and everything in between. Suddenly, all of us were engaged

Some 20 years later I ran into Pedro at my younger brother’s school, during soccer practice. My former teacher was still the same, dreadlocks and guitar included. I was surprised, he recognized me immediately. We caught up briefly and he told me he was let go from that job not long after I left that school. Polite, funny and sensitive as always, he didn’t go into details but I can speculate that perhaps his open minded beliefs and creative methods were a bit much for a traditional institution.

From those classes I remember becoming very aware about a sense of “destiny” and how life is full of coincidences. I also recollect not exactly understanding those feelings. I didn’t understand the purpose of prayer either. I didn’t get what sacrifice of one’s will for that of others meant. All I know is I always believed there was a force in charge of everything, making sure things happened according to a master plan. The problem was I never felt at ease. At one point I felt as if my life was spinning so fast that I was going to fall.

Around 2010, when I was in fact very close to falling, something clicked. My health had deteriorated and my career was collapsing. I had an immense sense of loneliness in New York and was completely afraid. I was then introduced to meditation. My friend told me about his spiritual practice and we launched into discussions about religion. To my surprise he had none, he was agnostic. My friend however, believed that he was in a spiritual path, and that all humans had a connection of the soul. Although agnostic he got on his knees to pray, daily. He did not pray to God, his prayers consisted of words of gratitude for his blessings, but also for all the negative experiences in his life. Those experiences taught him to push through, be stronger, and learn from mistakes.

It was from a simple conversation that the spark lit up a flame and I found myself no longer in the dark. There was hope. I started reading about different spiritual practices and learned to say more yes than no. Begrudgingly I started praying (not knowing what to, but I did it anyway), on my knees, as taught by my grandmother. I would then sit in silence and meditate; or at least I tried to. First for two minutes, than for five, and now sometimes I go for twenty.

Everything has changed and my practice has not remained linear. I’ve said prayers that belong to different religions, merely because I admired the meaning behind the words. I’ve studied different spiritual beliefs, like the Kabbalah, and I found a way back to myself through yoga, which if you had asked me before, I would have told you it was but a fashion trend.

I found that in the stillness of when I am alone I’m granted the answers I didn’t even know I was looking for. I discovered that there can be many different paths that lead to the same destiny, and I can get there a lot more peacefully if I have a spiritual connection. Whether my pursuit is in religion, meditation, or yoga, that’s all irrelevant. We all can connect within when we need answers or even if we simply want to feel re-energized. Millions of people on this planet can’t be wrong, if they have a spiritual practice that works for them then who am I to argue? Exploring different spiritual paths doesn’t take much time, it shouldn’t really cost any money and no one’s ever died from having too much spirituality and serenity in their lives.

Originally published in The Huffington Post – GPS for the Soul, October, 2015

Meet the Man who Changed the Face of Advertising in America

When you hear the name William Helburn, it will probably not mean anything to you. Unless you were part of the advertising industry in the Mad Men era, or a fashion insider, Bill (as he’s called by friends and colleagues) would have flown under your radar. Contemporary to other greats like Richard Avedon, Lilian Bassman and Irving Penn, Mr. Helburn’s career started right after the war. Mr. Helburn shot faces like Dovima, Dorian Leigh and Jean Patchett for various publications including Harper’s Bazaar and Time Magazine. In the book Seventh and Madison (Thames & Hudson) the reader is introduced to this key character of a long gone era, in which the United States lived what was probably the most exciting and innovative time in advertising.

This photographer never spent much time building an editorial brand. “I never made a point to put my name under my pictures; I was working mainly in advertising and unlike magazine editorials, you never get credit for that work,” Bill explains with no regrets. “I worked a lot, I was successful, people liked me and I made a lot of money.”

Mr. Helburn didn’t really care about branding himself, so why suddenly have a retrospective of his work at the peak of his 90 years of age? “I have no idea, this is such a nuisance!” he laughs, “these people who followed my work, approached me and said they were interested in what I created and said they felt the world should know who I am.” Bill agreed with the proposition but was skeptical they would be able to put a book together with the little material he had saved over the years. “I threw away three quarters of the work I did, anything that wasn’t approved [to run] went to the trash, I didn’t know people were gonna come back and make a book about me.”

What Robert and Lois Lilly (authors of the tome) saw, was the indelible mark this photographer had left in the advertising industry. Helburn was making images that were outside the box and popped from the pages of the magazines and billboards, bringing new excitement to the ads he was hired to shoot. He was the only advertising photographer who was as trendy as the fashion photographers, roaming the world with top models and celebrities and putting them in new and unexpected situations for the sake of selling a product in a different way.

Never before would a fashion photographer shoot a car advertisement, and that’s exactly what Bill did. “I made it more interesting. I wasn’t showing the engine like most ads were. I had a model in the picture and I made that car sexy.” And Bill gets excited every time he is invited to talk about his work. “I made advertising a little more fashionable. They would give me layouts and I’d shoot that, but then I’d also do what I wanted to do and more often than not they’d pick my idea over the layout.” That was how models ended up with cruise ships in their hair, standing atop street signs or naked in the middle of a snow storm. Shock value was something this artist knew all about.

In times when the world talks endlessly about new medias and the end of the printed matter, it’s valid to wonder what made such a successful photographer change from shooting stills to moving image. Eventually Mr. Helburn saw the expansion of the television as a new media and moved on to shoot commercials. “That was the way the world was going, advertising was spending more money on TV, so I started doing that,” explains Bill. And he did that from the 80s up until the early 90s when he finally retired to enjoy his success and spend time with the family.

For someone who seemed so passionate about his work, one is left wondering if he keeps up with new advertising campaigns and magazines. The answer comes as quickly as the click of a shutter. “I couldn’t care less, I don’t keep track of it at all, I just want to enjoy life!”. And that he does, with no regrets, only happy memories. “Doing this book… it’s rewarding, they rediscovered me,” concludes the master.

Article originally appeared in The Huffington Post and VVV Magazine.