ayu's twitter/weibo thread ~part 24~

[ayu_ready?]

Originally Posted by AyuWorld

proof that she really loves that pic

yeah, really
I just can't.
and I don't understand

Originally Posted by Zeke.

Same thing happened with a certain someone who's name starts with a T and ends with a Y... After only having one piece of work from him, everyone thought he was the new God and now it's the same case with him...

oh no, I wasn't craving for him from the start

[hidekirby]

Originally Posted by ayu_ready?

she put that awful new A SUMMER BEST cover as her default twitter userpic. oh-my-God

It is already time for her to hire an art director, a professional, someone with a little sense of good taste to work with her. That girl NEEDS SOME HELP.

[emi♡]

Yeah, honestly, I dont know why people try to blame photographers and crap...even when they have their distinct styles.

She's the one sitting there posing, screwing up the picture

[RayJason]

^ I don't think it's fair to blame the model. The photographer was the one snapping the picture. Maybe she looked awesome but they felt like they needed to photoshop the living crap out of her. And really, this is the first picture by Leslie that I kinda like to be honest.

[BlackSilence]

Originally Posted by hidekirby

It is already time for her to hire an art director, a professional, someone with a little sense of good taste to work with her. That girl NEEDS SOME HELP.

i actually think an art director would be a great idea for her, they would glue everything up. Rigt now it kinda looks like everyone's just doing their own thing without thinking about the whole picture. TEAM WORK is in a big need, i think someone like art director would kind of make that happen.


I think in fashion industry, at least i had heard it a few times, a photographer needs inspiration from the subject...if a model can bring it, it's great, if not, even a photographer can't do much. But what surprises me with latest Ayu's pics is that it looks like Leslie just doesn't know her body & face in terms of taking photos. He always gets those weird awkward angles now and Ayu seems to like them *shrugs* I just don't get it...

[emi♡]

Originally Posted by RayJason

^ I don't think it's fair to blame the model. The photographer was the one snapping the picture. Maybe she looked awesome but they felt like they needed to photoshop the living crap out of her. And really, this is the first picture by Leslie that I kinda like to be honest.

The photographer snaps hundreds of pictures.

I don't think it's the photoshop that ruins Ayu's photos most of the time...at least lately. It's usually her expressions


I think we can blame the photographer for things like lighting, angles, composition, etc, because those are things that as photographers, they should be paying attention to, not the model.


I personally never give that much validity to complaints about photoshopping, unless it's a complete photoshop fail, because EVERYTHING is overly photoshopped. That's just how the industry works.


And...I think she does have art directors for the different releases?

[jbrat2219]

Ayu seems to go in so many different directions it's hard for me to keep track. But the fact I know she's capable of brilliant photos in recent years (ex. FIVE, Love songs) shows me she hasn't lost her touch. She's not consistent. I think that's the main problem. But that could also be intentional. I don't think the covers of ASB, for example, were suppose to be serious. Because, let's be honest, love it or hate it this best isn't that big of a deal. And Party Queen had a concept that made the low level quality clearly intentional. So putting these two aside, other photo shoots such as SUPER AYU (color photos), FIVE, and Love songs show she can take gorgeous photos when that's what she's going for. For this best, I don't think that's what she's trying to portrait. So I think the blame for "bad photos" rest on ayu since she approves them. But at the same time I don't think they're "bad" because she has no direction. I think people consider them bad because what ayu wants and what (western fans) want aren't the same. They have NEVER been the same, in my opinion. It's just a matter of liking the photo or not. All comes down to taste.

[Queen Bee]

Originally Posted by emi♡

Yeah, honestly, I dont know why people try to blame photographers and crap...even when they have their distinct styles.

She's the one sitting there posing, screwing up the picture

Having worked in this particular field, the photographer can be the one to even screw up the model's expression. The model generally just does what the photographer or even the art director tells them to do. I'll be the first to admit that I and the photographer that I used to work for have made a model accidently look awful. However, the photographs are deleted pretty quickly so the art director or client can't say it's perfect and that's the shot they want.

However in defense of Leslie, he may have taken better shots but possibly didn't like some of the shots that were chosen but Ayu did and when it's a case like this you have to be very careful with what you say so you don't lose that nice paycheck that comes your way.

As for the photoshopping, depending on how big the studio the photographer owns or works for is to determine who does the photoshopping. Some photographers will do the editing themselves (Which if this case it's Leslie...I will refrain from commenting as a fellow photographer) or they have interns or people specifically hired to do the editing which if that's the case they need to have a talking to and re-taught to if that doesn't work they need to be let go.

I've also seen and experienced where a client will just want the pictures taken and they already have someone to edit the photographs. Which is something I absolutely hate because it comes back mostly as a reflection of your work when the untouched image may look better than the final product that they put out.

I'm not trying to excuse either Leslie or Ayu but it really falls into a huge grey area that until we have first hand experience inside one of their shoots we can't fully blame either one or just keep shifting blame. Sorry about my rambling. I fully respect everyones opinion positive and negative but I just wanted to give a little insight to how things a lot of the time work in this field as I've experienced it first hand.

I kinda wish that Leslie and Ayu could see some of the constructive negative comments and learn from them. I've always like getting feed back, both positive and especially negative (as long as it doesn't go to the point of being rude because there is a polite way of writing negative comments) because I think it makes you a better artist. I will say that I have seen some amazing photoshop skills on this forum and if my money comes through to open my own studio there are definitely some people I would hire in a heartbeat.

[emi♡]

^No I think you're right. To relate it back to ayu...sometimes we see in the making ofs, how the photographers push her, and I think that sometimes it has a lot to do with what they get out of her.

I think a lot of people started hating on Shimoko after we saw him in the sparkle making of lol

but then...I also think that, this is not like a fashion shoot either.

How many shots are they shooting? How long are they shooting for? How well do Ayu and Leslie know each other. Ayu isn't a random fashion model either. She's Ayu, and Leslie is trying to pull from her a concept that SHE created (I'm assuming, that could be totally false).


I just think it's interesting, like you said, how people shift blame. I think Ayu knows that at the end of the day, it all falls on her. I also think that if people were to tell her "hey you need a new person to do this" She would defend to the death the people she's chosen around her, and would take the blame herself. idk. I think that's the right thing to do. That's what *I'd* do.


I kinda wish Ayu would do another big NTV interview for this era...random.

[RayJason]

Originally Posted by emi♡

The photographer snaps hundreds of pictures.

I don't think it's the photoshop that ruins Ayu's photos most of the time...at least lately. It's usually her expressions

I think we can blame the photographer for things like lighting, angles, composition, etc, because those are things that as photographers, they should be paying attention to, not the model.

I personally never give that much validity to complaints about photoshopping, unless it's a complete photoshop fail, because EVERYTHING is overly photoshopped. That's just how the industry works.

And...I think she does have art directors for the different releases?

Still. The photographer is the one who foresees the 'final picture'. It's not like ayu's posing in front of the mirror where she can watch her exact facial expressions or something. The photographer should be the one who delivers the best final output if you ask me. Ayu is smiling way too wide in that picture, the photographer; Leslie sure could have redone that shot, they had the time for it. Perhaps ayu wasn't aware her mouth was that big and her head so misplaced lol. I don't know, or Leslie just finds those pictures hot and appealing or something.

I disagree, as photographer you definitely should pay attention to the model. It's not like he stands there to catch the best light and angles. I believe that he should navigate the model, not force her to pose on his way, but just instruction giving and such... You know, work together. Maybe that's what ayu and Leslie did, but it's not appealing to a lot of other people I guess.

We still have to see the large CD+DVD cover which was the most promising one! I wonder how she looks on that in high resolution. (tbh I fell for that picture, I found it superior and stunning, but after focusing much about it; I feel like she looks very old in that picture.

But I do like how you described this era for ayu, & era in the other thread. Until now I still thought the sad lonely Party Queen era was lingering, glad to have it gone from my thoughts tho. It was a not my fave era.

[emi♡]

^Actually, sorry, I meant the photographer, not the model, should be paying attention to the lighting, etc. Not that he shouldn't pay attention to the model.

But idk...I don't think she was smiling too wide...If that's her natural smile lol But yeah, I'm sure they have other shots and stuff.

I do think he should have paid more attention to her head angle. It's not easy for models to understand sometimes what body positions will look like at different angles from the camera.


Random, but I brought this up earlier when jesscat was talking about ayu's laugh lines, the model lena fujii, who I totally love, but whenever she smiles like really naturally...it's not really that pleasant looking So usually shots of her are not like that...

but should that mean that she never smiles like that? idk lol It's hard to say.

[RayJason]

LOL I only saw one picture of ayu where we could spot her laugh lines, it was a Ultra HQ one. I thought something from FIVE (era)? It felt nice seeing that she is human after all, and not a robot clone from avex™ cloning factory (which I've heard a lot of story's about). Oh to be honest I agree, I don't think it's that wide. I said that because I think the majority of people think she is smiling too wide; as far as the negative reactions are. One comment was about that in some time only her mouth will be visible on her face ASFGHJKL.

[Queen Bee]

Originally Posted by emi♡

^No I think you're right. To relate it back to ayu...sometimes we see in the making ofs, how the photographers push her, and I think that sometimes it has a lot to do with what they get out of her.

I think a lot of people started hating on Shimoko after we saw him in the sparkle making of lol

but then...I also think that, this is not like a fashion shoot either.

How many shots are they shooting? How long are they shooting for? How well do Ayu and Leslie know each other. Ayu isn't a random fashion model either. She's Ayu, and Leslie is trying to pull from her a concept that SHE created (I'm assuming, that could be totally false).


I just think it's interesting, like you said, how people shift blame. I think Ayu knows that at the end of the day, it all falls on her. I also think that if people were to tell her "hey you need a new person to do this" She would defend to the death the people she's chosen around her, and would take the blame herself. idk. I think that's the right thing to do. That's what *I'd* do.


I kinda wish Ayu would do another big NTV interview for this era...random.

emi♡: I think you're right, I think Ayu would take the blame and in a sense fall on her own sword. I will always love and respect Ayu but I just hope she realizes that if she wants to use the same people (composing for her, photographing her, directing her PVs, ect.) the work will need to be on a continuously "perfect" level, granted errors are always going to happen when deciding to go to the next level but they would all need to be capable of seeing those errors and learn from them and try again to do better and succeed or realize it isn't working and start again from the last point of "perfect" and start again.

From what I know fashion photo shoots can last a while, I was on one that went from 12pm until 10pm before but there are some that go pretty quickly. However I've yet to be part of one that hasn't been less than 3 hours so I would suspect that there's run just as long. It really all depends on the styling and wardrobe changes because all of that, wardrobe, hair, make up, nails all go on at the actual set. A good chuck of the time the photographer is already at the set and ready, I think sometimes the problem is that Leslie and Shimoko forget that Ayu isn't a model so there for a look that a model can pull off Ayu may not necessarily be able to pull of with the same effect.

also think that Ayu sometimes Ayu creates these probably awesome but very detailed concepts that the photographer or director instead of giving a more simplified suggest try to bring it all to life which can sometimes be a huge mess

We've also seen in the behind the scenes and making ofs that Ayu looks absolutely naturally beautiful and doesn't need a super ton of photoshop. Like I've said previously when you really REALLY photoshop a person who doesn't need much it can be a very bad thing.

I think it is a good idea for Ayu to work with new people but still be able to work with people she has previously worked with. She could also use the new people she is currently using or will use in the future and have them work with the people she has worked with in the past. I think it could result in something amazing or not. But at least some could feel Ayu was trying some truly different again. Just my own personal opinion.

In my opinion there is nothing wrong with a bad photo, song, composition, fashion style every now and again. It's going to happen, it would be delusion to think it wouldn't. I think its how she should grow as an artist. I personally feel like Ayu has taken some missteps but she's slowly getting back to where she needs to be. It will take a bit but she'll get there. Once again that's just my personal opinion. Also a part of me wonders if her marriage and divorce have any part in some of her recent decisions because one came pretty suddenly where she could have been so happy that she had her mind on other things and then being in a whole different place know her marriage had fallen apart and she seems to have admitted she was to blame for most it in her lyrics and not really have her heart in much right now. I could be completely wrong.

I kinda wish I could tell her all this on twitter but I think it might sound a little rude and I really don't want to come across that way. Sorry if this all seems off topic.

Originally Posted by RayJason

Still. The photographer is the one who foresees the 'final picture'. It's not like ayu's posing in front of the mirror where she can watch her exact facial expressions or something. The photographer should be the one who delivers the best final output if you ask me. Ayu is smiling way too wide in that picture, the photographer; Leslie sure could have redone that shot, they had the time for it. Perhaps ayu wasn't aware her mouth was that big and her head so misplaced lol. I don't know, or Leslie just finds those pictures hot and appealing or something.

I disagree, as photographer you definitely should pay attention to the model. It's not like he stands there to catch the best light and angles. I believe that he should navigate the model, not force her to pose on his way, but just instruction giving and such... You know, work together. Maybe that's what ayu and Leslie did, but it's not appealing to a lot of other people I guess.

We still have to see the large CD+DVD cover which was the most promising one! I wonder how she looks on that in high resolution. (tbh I fell for that picture, I found it superior and stunning, but after focusing much about it; I feel like she looks very old in that picture.

But I do like how you described this era for ayu, & era in the other thread. Until now I still thought the sad lonely Party Queen era was lingering, glad to have it gone from my thoughts tho. It was a not my fave era.

RayJason: You are absolutely right, the photographer has to notice everything down the tiniest detail. When it comes down to the new covers on the 2CD Leslie might have taken a better shot that flattered Ayu more but she might have liked this one better, which in any case no matter how you look at it you have to give the client what they want (However if that's the case, it should have been heavily suggest that they reshoot it to perfect it because I do agree with some of things about the photo that bother people). I am excited to see a large version of 2CD + DVD but it looks really nice so far.

I think you're right in that fact that the sad lonely queen era may be passing and I think the covers kinda prove it. I just hope Ayu gets back to her normal self (but then again who am I to say she hasn't gotten to that point already). Sorry again if this is all off topic.

[emi♡]

Oh, I soooo want her to switch up the people she works with. idk I just feel, especially when you're creating visual things, that the more different kinds of people you work with, the more you grow and realise the different things you can pull out of yourself that maybe weren't possible with only the insight from certain people.


The photoshop is meh for me, but I do agree that she doesn't need it that much. We always always see the offshots or the video, and she always looks so great. It's so frustrating lol

Originally Posted by QueenBee

I think sometimes the problem is that Leslie and Shimoko forget that Ayu isn't a model so there for a look that a model can pull off Ayu may not necessarily be able to pull of with the same effect.

That could really be it :/ You'd think after working together for so long, they'd really know her by now lol Or...maybe they do and they're trying to make the best of it, to give out the best product.


Someone else was talking about, how it seems like ayu (and her team) has lost their perfectionist ways lately. idk...I'm not sure how I feel about that.

[ExodusUK]

i thought this page would be filled with tweets but it's just people being off-topic and discussing the same thing all the time, surprise surprise

[RayJason]

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

i thought this page would be filled with tweets but it's just people being off-topic and discussing the same thing all the time, surprise surprise

How ironic! This would have made sense if this came from any other person than you.

[ExodusUK]

Originally Posted by RayJason

How ironic! This would have made sense if this came from any other person than you.

this post is kinda *****y tbh

Please provide examples where I have been off-topic or withdraw your libel.

[RayJason]

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

omg here we go again..

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

Can there be a separate Timmy vs AHS topic because it's seriously exhausting reading through so much negativity about one person who has simply been asked to do the jobs asked by his employer (Ayu).

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

i thought this page would be filled with tweets but it's just people being off-topic and discussing the same thing all the time, surprise surprise

Originally Posted by ExodusUK

Please provide examples where I have been off-topic or withdraw your libel.

Here you go, at least 2 validate posts that have absolutely nothing to do with ayu's tweets / O/T. (: You just have to accept that people can't stay on topic forever especially when there is no news from her twitter, the base of this thread is basically a mix between discussions about Timmy and the covers.

[microphone]

I like her lifeless expression in that A SUMMER BEST poster. Also, her body is a piece of work.

[TeamAyu2004]

LOL, love this thread and all the randomness!
Personally I think the photographer is to blame because he/she should of slapped Ayumi upside the head and told her to stop making those faces!
lol.