Among celebrities, Mark Nicdao has to be one of today’s most-loved photographers! His collaboration with ABS Publishing, Vantage, a softbound coffee table book of his photos, had its launch at Greenbelt 5’s Fashion Walk a few Sundays ago; and while in true showbiz form, most of the stars and celebrities did take their sweet time getting to the event, one can’t deny the star power that was in evidence as the night reached its apex. A compelling collection of photos from campaigns past, his personal favorites from over the years, and a number of new ones shot specifically for Vantage, the book works precisely because there’s a very personal aspect to the selection of photos. If every picture tells a story, then Vantage is, in more ways than one, the telling of Mark’s odyssey from assistant to Francis Abrahams and Xander Angeles; and now having a new Francis (Francis Dayao) in his life, managing and marketing the genius and talent that is Mark’s.
If there still is such a thing as a lovefest, the launch of Vantage would certainly qualify as today’s version. KC Concepcion and Tim Yap hosted the affair, and the late evening shoppers at GB5 were in for a treat as luminaries such as Kris Aquino, Kim Chiu, Jericho Rosales, Bea Alonzo and Ruffa Gutierrez alighted from their vehicles to troop to the stage created for the launch. Over time, Solenn Heussaff, Michelle Madrigal, Lovi Poe, Richard Gutierrez, Angel Locsin, Bianca King, Georgina Wilson, Liz Uy, Carla Humphries, Chris Cayzer, all made the roster of those ready to support Mark on this special night of his! As Emerson Yao, distributor of the Philip Stein watches that was one of the sponsors of the event, remarked; “This is like a local mini-version of the Oscars night if you’re just talking about the number of stars gathered here.” And as the watch brand’s principal was in town for this event, there certainly was a lot of love going around, as a watch was gifted to one lucky celebrity! Take a bow, Kim!
As for the book, the story-telling element is what sets the book apart. It can be an anecdote about what happened during the shoot, or it could be an explanation of the photo’s concept and execution, or it can even be just a very personal missive from Mark on what the photo means to him or why the subject of the shoot holds a special place in his heart and career. And through it all, Mark always refers to the collaborative aspect of his work, how the stylists, art directors, hair and makeup artists all form part of the team to bring these photos to life! It’s Mark’s vantage point on our local world of celebrity and show business; and it’s to our ad-vantage that he’s ready to share it with us!
Dab hands at mystery and suspense
With writers such as le Carre, Lehane and Waters, there’s always a lot of expectation, given that they’ve set such high standards over the years. Le Carre practically defined the Cold War novels and has excelled in reinventing his genre; while the “hard-boiled” detective novels of Lehane, set in Boston, are constant guilty pleasures. Waters is more off the mainstream, but with her new novel, gives us a ghost story that’s rich in mood and atmosphere.
Our Kind of Traitor by John le Carre (available at National Bookstore): Young Oxford tutor Perry and lawyer/girlfriend Gail are on holiday in Antigua in the Caribbean, when over a game of tennis, they are approached by Dima, who turns out to be a Russian money launderer of significant stature. Over what on the surface looks like an innocent tennis game, wheels are set in motion for a request to defect. This is a dense, well-textured novel that touches on the espionage game as played today. Private agendas, bureaucratic infighting, big fish protecting themselves and how we are, at the end of the game, all pawns of a bigger game that’s played at a level we can only try to fathom, are all to be found in this novel.
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane (available at National Bookstore): In much the same way Peter James has made Brighton, England a familiar backdrop to his detective novels, Dennis Lehane has Boston. With PI Patrick Kenzie and Angie Gennaro on board, Moonlight Mile is like revisiting old friends and finding out what they’re up to; so much so that even Amanda McReady (from 1998’s Gone Baby Gone) is back, and has gone missing yet again. Now a 16-year-old, there’s a nifty plot that involves the Russian mob that operates along the American East Coast, and involves Helen and Kenny, Amanda’s bio-mom and the layabout/slacker she lives with. Par for the course with Lehane novels, is the human side of Kenzie, his making ends meet while handling cases.
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (available at National Bookstore): Call this Brideshead Revisited; but with a ghost, elements of Upstairs Downstairs, and family lore that splits wide open class divisions that remain very British! At one level, the book is about the decline of stately homes after the Second World War, and the fate of the families that own and occupy these homes. Set in rural Warwickshire, our narrator is Faraday, a country doctor who has lived in awe of Hundreds Hall and its inhabitants. A 2010 Booker Prize finalist, this novel has a strange, doomed love story between Faraday and Caroline — daughter of the big house family — at its core. Through this love story, and the methodical unravelling of the “spirit,” there’s much to be fascinated by in this novel.