All This Useless Beauty, a photo from Taipei, North

Photographer's Note

What shall we do?
What shall we do?
With all this useless beauty?
All this useless beauty?

Another shot from an article I am writing and shooting that hopes to be published later this year.

Cosmetics are HUGE business in Taipei. The major department stores all give their best floor space, that on the main floor, to the sale of ladies' and men's cosmetics and fragrances. Being honest, the ladies'are the target demographic. Here, one of the companies has a lot of people working, doing make up for some of the shoppers in the foreground while working on a paid model (interestingly, Caucasian and not Asian/Chinese) on the main stage so to speak. As you can see, the crowds that are attracted are considerable and I am sure that revenues are good too.

There will probably be a few other posts from luxurious and modern settings such as this, but I will also be checking into the "old school", splashy treatments which are also common here in Taiwan. I have lots of ideas on this piece and can see lots of possibilities, so who knows what will come up?

Dpbours has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

Dpbours (222) 2007-08-07 6:07

Hi Darren,

Yep, same same here in Indonesia. Cosmetic brands host modelling shows for 'normal' women in the bigger malls so often. If you plan well, you will be able to find such a show every day of the weekend here in Medan, North-Sumatra. And as you rightfully point out; Also here you see very little genuine Indonesians / Bataks / Javans / Balinese as poster girls and women for these brands. A little touch of Chinese often, Singapore or Malay blood mixed. But seldom a genuine Indo girl. Though the shows are often claimed to be aimed at finding a new poster girl...

And everyone wants to be beautiful. If it's not for the orang putih in hopes to marry and get to Europe or the boss to get higher up (Still a very male oriented society), it's at least good for self esteem and to fit the expected. And it does create jobs...

Have you seen the film 'Be with me'? Beautiful portrait in Singapore - and basically applicable to Asia as a whole. Not specifically on cosmetics, but surely about not wanting to be lonely.
The shot is okay by the way. It should not be seen without the note, but a good journalistic approach.

Greetings! Dennis

pablominto (53746) 2007-08-07 6:14

Hello Darren,
Interesting daily life capture, maybe also a picture of Taiwan 2007..!
Composition wise I like the diagonal eye communication audience-stage, present light is well used for exposure...
Well framed, good natural colours and fine details!
Greetings,
Pablo -

Furachan (0) 2007-08-08 4:59

Great song of corse and as you perhaps remember from an earlier trip to Hoi An, I too uploaded a ic with that title.
Daren, I like what you are trying to build here, this crowd of attntive, expectant women, nicely buit up from the right. My problem though is hat ultimately you end up wth a "background only" picture which lacks a certain focus. It is as if there was, if anything TOO MUCH info here, too many rees for us to se the wood. So it's a half hearted nod from me I'm afraid...
-F

kensimage (8563) 2007-08-12 12:10

Well, "luxurious and modern" is a part of world culture, too, for a small but increasing number of people. And this depicts it very well, Darren--the intent looks on the girls' faces, the bright colors, the sterile steel-and-glass building where it all takes place. Nice composition with the girls in the right half forming a wedge. It's a little bit cluttered overall but that's what can happen when you depict a busy scene. Regards, Ken.