Quarantine Vibes
(June/July 2020)
Robert Pattinson shot by Robert Pattinson
By now I am sure that many of you have already seen the cover and accompanying editorial for the June/July 2020 edition of GQ Magazine. They were shot by Robert Pattinson while at home during the ongoing quarantine season. This might be the first time I have considered buying an issue of GQ Magazine, simply for the fact that I love this shoot. I have to admit that I know very little about Robert Pattinson - I remember seeing him in Harry Potter, and then his funny French accent in The King, which was also the first time I ever saw Timothée Chalamet in anything. For some reason I thought Chalamet spoke with a French accent in real life. I was suspicious of how good his English accent was in the film, because he sounded like an American doing an English accent, and it turns out that he is indeed American. My knowledge of celebrity these days is quite poor to say the least.
Anyhow, I think that this editorial works so much better than the umpteenth "Facetime" photoshoot that I have seen recently. The difference an actual camera that you can move around makes (not to mention the image quality), compared to a phone that you have to keep propped up or a laptop that you have to keep on a level surface, is night and day. I am not saying that you cannot get good results with a phone or tablet, but the Facetime shoots have all looked rather similar in execution to me, with static framing and no real sense of dynamism. They seem almost sterile in a way. This shoot in comparison manages to draw me in and capture some of the chaotic energy of the interview itself. Plus anyone who manages to get a can of Heinz beans and a bottle of HP sauce into a GQ photograph is cool in my books.
I like the fact that this is not simply a series of full body poses in front of the camera. I hope they do not try to overdo this style of editorial, but I love the concept of this issue. Hopefully I can order a print copy for myself, because there really is a vast difference for me between experiencing images on a screen and holding a physical magazine in your hands. I am still not the type to read magazines on an iPad, and do not enjoy reading long articles on my phone, because my eyes tend to hurt after a while. I have actually been on the lookout for a new fashion magazine to subscribe to, or at least some that I can buy on a semi-regular basis, because I miss the editorials. If anyone has recommendations feel free to hit me up!
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