the cobrasnake
“i want to be in the next Balenciaga campaign. And im really impatient, and feel like sitting here on the computer all afternoon is such a waste of time and i need to be doing more. But everyone in my house is doing the same thing right now. I guess everyone is human and the thought of another party right now, for once does not interest me. (I mean its not like Pip, Dangerous, Cat, Natedog, MattSaville, Mikey, etc all my other fun people) are in the house to make me definately think otherwise about starting a Half Party)”. So wrote Stephanie Carta on her Magna Carta blog on November 3.
An erstwhile muse of Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquière – and a two-time runway model for the 2008 shows of the venerated French fashion house – such was the strength of Carta’s second international show season, models.com nominated her as one of SS09’s Top 10 Newcomers in October.
Sadly, while Carta did make Balenciaga’s SS09 show, reportedly she has not made the SS09 ad campaign - which is said nevertheless to boast 10 other models.
And nor it appears may Carta have scored any SS09 campaigns – unlike her compatriots Catherine McNeil, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Myf Shepherd and Alice Burdeu.
As a consolation prize, and in tandem with her buddy, Tallullah “Party” Morton, Carta has become a regular star on the party photoblog of Mark "The Cobrasnake" Hunter. Including this delightful cameo (^) from last week's ksubi/Cobrasnake/Steve Aoki et co NYE party at Kings Cross nightclub Club 77.
pedestrian.tv
In The Cobrasnake shot, Carta appears as a caricature of what everyone imagines to be wrong with the modelling business.
Perhaps taken at an (extremely) unflattering angle, Carta looks not only underweight (which is awkward in light of the weight controversy in which she found herself embroiled in Sydney last year), but totally off her face.
The party occurred of course during Carta’s downtime, while she is, like many other models, enjoying a summer vacation.
This afternoon I asked another photographer his position on the ethics of photographing those who may be momentarily mentally incapacitated due to the effects of alcohol or other substances.
Hunter is documenting the international party scene, came the response. And makes, by all accounts, a handsome living out of doing so.
If anyone walks in front of Hunter's lens, said my photographer, Hunter is entitled to shoot them regardless – and publish those shots on his high traffic website.
This is irrespective, he noted, of whether or not the subject happens to be professional model with an image to maintain. Or even a friend.
Carta cannot claim that she does not know who Hunter is, because she has appeared in previous Cobrasnake party reportages.
At 23, Carta is also most definitely a consenting adult.
Hunter is reporting the news, in other words.
And sometimes, of course, it's not pretty.
43 comments:
Honestly she should be in the campaign, being a muse for the brand, and the campaign showing a collection of strong, bold faces. I can't believe she wasn't even their first choice, this girl is gold.
Though this post is probably more on her getting shitfaced at parties, and i must say i thought it was Amy Winehouse at first.
Awww, Sweet, Her mother must be very proud! This photo is definately one for her book.
i think you should leave these girls alone.. they are allowed to have fun, they are young and on vacation.
Has she picked up the charity change tin off the bar instead of a drink?
I have no word to describe this girl or her blog (which is so boring and ego driven most of the time)then this youtube video..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg_18EgERsI
^^haha,Paul!
I sure as hell wouldn't want any of my misspent youth catalogued for the world to see. well, none of the bad pictures, at least.
This photo, and carta herself, represent everything wrong with Sydney and the australian fashion industry. If history is to repeat itself, something is going to come along and wipe the slate clean. My guess is the economic downturn, which is slowly creeping its way towards Australia, is going to do it. Party on Steph and Co, it aint long.
Is she for real? The next face of Balenciaga campaign? hahahhahahahahahahhahahahahahahahah
You think they are gonna take her on with that kind of self-image as the face of the house? Don't they want a hot fresh face with class?
oh dear.
Wow.
Where to begin.
Firstly, Steph and other models of her ilk are entitled to their downtime or whatever, but they need to be aware that there are scum sucking bottom feeders out there who will happily buy them drinks and then shoot them in various states of inebriation.
Secondly, yes, Mark Hunter is scum. He's really is no better than a papparazzi snapper, which professional photographers hold in extremely low regard. They're not talented photographers. They're stalkers with a camera. Likewise, Mark is esentially an artistically-void voyeur with a camera.
Lastly, these models need to wise up and realise that these sorts of snaps do not do their careers and their public images any favours. If they (or their minders) had brains, they'd actually stop attending parties where photographers like Mark will be present. Likewise, party organisers intent on having models on their invite lists should start barring photographers who take advantage of party guests in this way.
Well said Maxie. I agree 100%.
Maxie, a 23 year old shouldn't have to be told. I'd take a wild a guess that Carta is adept at buying herself drinks, and from the looks of this photo and her rambling blog, other substances as well. We're not talking about a teenager here, or someone new to modeling.
Julia, everyone in their 20s gets drunk, tries drugs, and generally makes a dick of themselves.
The difference is that we have all been fortunate enough to do it anonymously and without people like Mark trading on it.
I'm not saying Steph and other models are innocent little girls, what i'm saying is, they should be entitled to enjoy themselves WITHOUT having to worry about their private lives being splashed all over Cobrasnake et al.
Party promoters need to wise up to that quick smart, or risk losing their beloved model guests.
Or perhaps i'm getting old... maybe kids these days enjoy attention, be it good or bad, for attention's sake. Who knows.
Dude, what I really wanna know is how come Australian models look so ROUGH in their down time?
just a couple of points here. firstly, many members of the public consider all media professionals to be "scum-sucking bottom feeders". that doesn't stop the public from buying newspapers, logging onto mainstream media sites and watching television to try and find out the news. they expect that news to be delivered to them, without fully appreciating just what may be involved in procuring same. yes of course there are ethical boundaries, however bothering people who are grieving to try and find more information about a public interest issue, for example, rarely goes down well. recently an oz tv crew was bashed by an angry mob, while they were in town covering a tragedy.
secondly, not all paps are "stalkers". some are much worse than others and unfortunately the latter give everyone a bad name. maxie - you are of course entitled to your opinion on the quality of their work and on the subject of photo reportage in general. but the work of 30s-40s NY street photographer weegee for example was highly controversial - he took shots of crime victims etc, had access to a police radio alerting him to crime scenes (which was very unusual at the time, but commonplace nowadays in most newsrooms, certainly tv newsrooms). his work has since been exhibited in museums.
but just remember one thing. paps are in business because the public has an apparently insatiable voyeuristic appetite for images of celebrities. they earn, often, huge sums for these images - paid by tabloid newspapers and gossip magazines. which have the highest circulations - far higher circulations than 'worthy' broadsheets and current affairs publications which are supposed to showcase quality journalism. they usually have zero access however, that is the key here. they pursue public figures - who promote themselves for commercial gain - and in PUBLIC spaces, using long-range lenses etc to get closer. and yes at times some do go further. i am not defending anyone who behaves likes the gestapo and breaks the law by trespassing on private property, uses listening devices etc...
party snappers like hunter have, on the other hand, almost unfettered access to PRIVATE events. hunter flies around the world photographing private parties. you suggest party organisers whould ban him? they're the ones who are inviting him, because they want the publicity. and why are they guaranteed publicity from his images? because the public logs onto his site. the organisers are quite possibly also paying his expenses. no magazine in NZ would probably dispute the artistic merit point of hunter's images. they are about to publish yet another cobrasnake cover and editorial - featuring tallullah morton. who is, i gather, hunter's girlfriend. and carta is, i gather, one of morton's closest friends.
i get the point that hunter is documenting the scene. where things get a little blurry here is when he crosses over the impartial observer line and in fact has a personal relationship with some of his subjects. it's not the first time that a photographer has had a model girlfriend of course. but there is an element of trust here. ditto for carta. this shot, and the shot of tallullah, pissed in paris and clutching a magnum of absolut vodka, are really not very flattering images. sure, hunter is just documenting what's going down. but they're not just random trashed photosubjects. they're his friends. they are controversial images and at the end of the day, he is making money out of them.
Patty, i should point out that i too am a member of the media, yet still hold many paps and people like Mark in low regard.
I understand very well how the pap business works, but i think it's your final point that is my biggest problem with Mark.
He is not an impartial observer, as someone like weegee was, or like most photojournalists are.
He is friends with many of his "subjects", and is, in my opinion, taking advantage of those friendships by photographing those girls in that state.
I guess so long as those girls know that they're ultimately being used, then it's their choice to be friends with him.
I understand party organisers want him at their parties, but at what price? What's the point of publicity if no one wants to go to your club night or whatever for fear of having their trashy pics splashed all over Cobrasnake?
(But then, as i posted earlier, my feelings on this may betray my age... perhaps these kids love the attention regardless?)
And finally, Mark wouldn't be the first photographer commissioned to shoot a cover based on his notoriety, verses his actual ability.
Nonetheless, he is an exceptional self-promoter, no question.
I am suprise she is not urianating on herself in this photo,she looks like those ice addict walking around begging for money on Oxford st/Surry Hills!
From what I've heard Tallulah and Mark Hunter are not romantically linked, they have more of a big brother/little sister relationship
Sorry, I couldn't keep silent any longer. I hope Miss Carta doesn't let Balenciaga see pics like this, or she will never be getting that campaign she dreams of. One word: Classy!
second last Anonymous what tha hell does "Tallulah and Mark Hunter are not romantically linked they have more of a big brother/little sister relationship" got to do with Carta's self-inflicted modelling career trashing?
Australia's next top Bogan!
http://www.thecobrasnake.com/partyphotos/77problems/IMG_6736.html
Both Stephanie Carta and Tallulah Morton are ridiculous as highlighted in the following photos..
http://www.thecobrasnake.com/partyphotos/77problems/IMG_6889.html
http://www.thecobrasnake.com/partyphotos/77problems/IMG_6802.html
http://www.thecobrasnake.com/partyphotos/77problems/IMG_6736.html
Once again Tallulah is in a club underage and looks to be under the influence of alcohol and/or other drugs. The image these girls are projecting is not a healthy one and ultimately it will ruin them, no one else.
As for Mark Hunter, these girls should have a full understanding by now that he will post unflattering and compromising photos of them.. I think they bring it on themselves
While it is quite irrelevant in this particular conversation whether or not mark and tallulah are dating it is interesting to note that even though the two have had a romantic connection, he continues to post possibly jeopardising photos and she continues to let him. Ive met this girl in real life and lets say shes not the most intelligient girl. She may just be too young and naive to understand that shes being exploited
look, you have absolutely no idea if tallulah morton was under the influence of either alcohol or drugs. you can guess, but that's all it is, a guess. all we do know is that yes, she is under the legal drinking age in australia. and it's the umpteenth cobrasnake party portfolio in which she appears. personally i would rather see her in magazine editorials and ad campaigns. but we have had that discussion.
i know there's a connection to morton here, but apart from being present, i don't see her being the subject of any particularly unflattering images. it was NYE. everyone in town was partying.
Maxie, I know everyone parties, and makes a fool of themselves at some point. But these girls know what Hunter does, and party with him, knowing they'll be photographed. In addition, Carta makes herself look foolish and unprofessional on her own blog. There are plenty of professional models who keep it under wraps. This is, after all, the business of image. There have been enough warning shots. What these girls do now pretty is much their own decision, and they'll bear the consequence. Sure, it's awful for anyone a little older or simply wiser to watch. But that's life.
Oh, and for the anon. posting about Hunter and Tallulah just being friends, no-one is taking you seriously.
ha ha. an interview from before cobrasnake reduced his age by about 10 years. in it, Cory says he's thirty
http://chiefmag.com/issues
/7/profiles/Mark-Cobrasnake-Hunter-Cory-
Kennedy/
LOLOL-puke
Is she related to Janice Dickinson?
Dude, where's your career?
The antics that go on, somewhat publicly, amongst the model crowd, and seeing such photos posted on the internet only displays a small part of what society is like today. Whether you like it or not excessive drinking, drug taking and generally getting wasted, happens in every club without fail, night after night. As do photos taken at odd moments.
Dont hold it against poor Stephanie that a photo like that was taken of her. Taken of her in the early hours of New Years Day.
It's a good thing to know that she was at least out celebrating what is to be a good year. I'm sure nearly every other 23yr old in the whole of Sydney was doing the same thing at that time as well.
And the fact that underage Tallulah happened to be in a club environment at that same time... Good on her. I think the people at fault here are the people who let her and every other 17 yr old that night into the club. And the 16 yr olds too dont forget them.
Dont blame Tallulah for wanting to, and getting into a venue full of all of her friends who happen to be over 18.
Underagers getting into clubs is yesterdays news. 20% of the people in clubs are underage these days anyways.
And [frockwriter], whoever you are. Suprise suprise I've never heard of you.
You have to understand, and everybody else needs to, that what these two girls, and every other model is doing, is no different from what happens night after night at every night club out there.
The fact that they may be slightly in the spotlight is beyond the point. Because, once again, suprise suprise, everybody with half a brain knows that the model lifestyle is more than just looking hot, and it does involve alot of parties.
I think somebody needs to find something else to do than pay out Australia's elite models.
Tell me [frockwriter], do you get off when you write shit like that?
Xx
Xx, you'd be surprised at who follows this blog. Anyone with half a brain knows that modeling is about selling image, not average.
If these girls want to be average, or non-models, fine. Party up and write all about it. Get snapped looking like a junkie. But it's stupid to assume things like this don't have the potential to harm a modeling career.
Last Anonymous Xx
you dumb dipstick Patty Huntington [frockwriter]is a very well known fashion journalist/blogger in Australia who used to blog for www.smh.com.au and used to cover international fashion shows and
contributes for WWD/WWD.com (the fashion bible)
She is a very smart woman who knows her fashion very well.
And as for Stephanie Carta if she was a check out chick at the local supermarket we won't even blink at this article but the fact is that she well known up and coming model and she is the public eyes but she goes out getting wasted and talking smack on her blog yet the girl wants world domination in her career as a international model. Her dream is to be the next face of Balenciaga and who wants her face to grace the campaign? She is clearly not fit for such a high profile fashion house.
I don't care if its NYE or Jewish holiday....she's got no class at all..zero.
Patty why did you deleted the last blog you just put up?????
Sure, last anonymous, "poor Stephanie" is just like every other 23-year-old woman who takes her spiritual cues from the Facebook horoscope, has genuine opinions about being in the next Balenciaga campaign and ignores a major film producer until she finds out who he is and then smothers him with attention until "I dont know suddenly i love this guy" – then blogs about it. It's my life all over again...
I was at three parties Mark Hunter was at over New Year and, like a child with ADHD and a Canon PowerShot, he took hundreds and hundreds of photos at each. This one is not just thrown in – despite its apparent randomness, its inclusion is the result of considerable editing.
While "everybody with half a brain knows that the model lifestyle is more than just looking hot", everybody with a complete brain knows that real elite models cultivate and care for their image, even in their down time. If looking like a dry-cleaned version of Amy Winehouse is hot, this particular Half Party is more than half over already.
I really don't think that there would be many young people who wouldn't have had a photo like this taken in the early hours post NYE.....
but yes poor Steph is a bit of a worry.. the constant travelling away from the support structures of family and real friends...constantly moving so unable to maintain real friendships... judged harshly on their appearance constantly all conspire to drag a girl down when all she needs is a little love... i say lets all send steph a bit of love right now... god knows everyone needs it....
interesting comment from hunter in this 2008 short film about his work that was directed by jenn storms.
http://au.youtube.com
/watch?v=Vvk2yqFPrlw&NR=1
“i would say it's somewhat bias and i'll choose certain things to expose more than others. but you get to make your own decision when you look at my photos”
so what we see is a girl caught in a second of the time. no one was there, how can we judge based on paprazzi photo?
this is awfull and its low, and i dont know how can anyone publish it.
what i know, is that she does her job very professional, 'cause if she didnt she wouldnt make it so big as she has.
i wonder, who of us here, never went to a party? no one? we are all saints? oh, what a great world.
while you are talking about this, and while crisis is coming, she'll be in europe, working, so you guys can can have fun watching her dreams come true.
why am i commenting this? the only thing i want to say: get a life.
I think that it's important that photo's like this are made public. The fashion world is exactly what this photo captures. Tragic, irresponsible, false, indulgent, sick, careless and empty. The fashion world is not about beauty, it's about the false illusion of glamour. These girls starve or binge and vomit, drink too much, snort too much, run around the globe from one casting to another, sleep around, google themselves daily, network, social climb and gold dig, constantly try to dress 'cool', tag around with rich guy's, famous people, constantly message on their phones, post photos of themselves posing like lunatics on facebook profiles, blog blog blog about meaningless, vacuous nonsense, NEVER mentioning anything deeper then how 'amazing' the party was the night before and how they still haven't been to sleep yet. It's no wonder psychologists are using Facebook as a tool to learn how to spot narcissistic personality disorder by looking at profiles and blogs. People that are not savy to the truths of the fashion industry see photoshopped, staged, made up glossy pictures in magazines of these girls and it's ALL utter crap. It's about bloody time we got to see a REAL picture capturing the truth in that moment on many levels. Sure we've all been too drunk at a party but if this girl is as professional, together, busy and as fabulous as 'May' commented then why did she choose to get so obliterated at a party that she very well knew 'The Cobrasnake' was covering making her chances very high for being photographed and published onto the internet for all to see and talk about? No professional, together person in the public eye with any self respect, healthy career drive, strong intelligence or confidence would knowingly choose to pose in that state or sober for a 'party photo' web page like 'The Cobrasnake' over and over and over again like Miss. Carta chooses to do. Stephanie is 23 which in the modelling world is getting on a bit, she is certainly not new to the game. There is an endless list of lost girls in that industry that are an absolute mess. Agents, photographers, designers, stylists, editors all know these girls are messed up and riddled to the bone with serious eating disorders, drinking and drug problems yet they turn a blind eye and keep them coming! So, who do we point the finger at here?! Stephanie for being a poster victim of what the modelling, fashion world is really all about?? I think it's a positive thing to be able to comment on subjects that for whatever reason strike a cord. I do not see it as a sign of 'not having a life'. Since when does having an opinion and sharing it mean not having a life??
you just describe work and life of almost every manager there is. let's not make stereotypes.
gemma is fat and stephanie is bulimic? and fashion world is crazy.
yes there are definitely lost girls in the modelling business. three cases in point, the three models who plunged to their deaths from highrise apartment buildings over the past six months.
but let's get one thing straight here. plenty of regular professionals were also out on NYE getting hammered and possibly also high/wired. beyond the fact that carta looks fairly out of it in this shot, there is no evidence that she suffers from either an eating disorder or an alcohol/drugs problem. like every other model working at the elite end of the business, she is under enormous pressure to be hyper thin. the fact remains however that this is not a great shot. it's an awful shot. and, unlike all those other profesionals who were also partying on NYE, the fulcrum of her chosen profession happens to be image.
carta is responsible of course for what she posts on her own blog. from what i have seen she has posted a lot about parties, one of them dragging on for days. and one of her new best mates seems to be wade crescent from the model/DJ collective stunners international, whose best modelling years are behind him, who is vaguely reminiscent of keith moon - and who might well go out like moon at an early age if he pushes his hellraiser rep to the max. my personal opinion, for what it's worth, is that carta seems to be surrounding herself with professional party animals at a time when she really should be focussing on how best to maximise the narrow window of opportunity that she has in front of her. i don't see that being 23 is in itself a major problem. lara stone is older than that, ditto raquel zimmermann, and zimmermann is the world number one. but carta needs to work out her priorities. does she really want to be in a balenciaga campaign? or is she happy to settle for being a DJ groupie, part of the "hot chicks" support act to the main event here: the egos of hunter, aoki, crescent and co. she had a brilliant SS09 season and it would be great to see her forge ahead in FW0910, which is just around the corner.
carta seems to be surrounding herself with professional party animals. got your point. wannabes always destroy or try to destroy someone who has a chance to do something.
but patty, can you please name 3 girls that you mentioned at the begining of your comment.
ruslana korshunova
hayley kohle
sahar daftary
Let's face it. The girl is under weight. How do you become under weight...... No food..... So, she's not eating enough or she's 'getting rid' of it. From the looks of it she's certainly not getting up every morning to run 10 miles to achieve this beyond lean look. It's irrelevant how successful she was during some fashion week or how much potential she may have. The fact is whatever she's doing in the photo above and everyday to look like this is incredibly dangerous not only physically but mentally hence the 3 tragedy's listed below. Girls in the last couple of years have died backstage at these fabulous fashion weeks from heart failure brought on by starvation. Enough is enough, it's not about potential, fashion, image etc... We are talking about human lives. Is anything sacred? When is enough going to be enough?! When is someone going to speak up that has the power to put a stop to this madness or do a few more young girls with not enough self worth or perspective need to die in the name of fashion first?
Can I just say.. recent photos published on cobrasnake give me the creeps.. the photo below reminds me of child porn or something.
http://www.thecobrasnake.com/partyphotos/forsaleyardsale/IMG_0571.html
Perhaps it is his influence over the young wannabe-superstars. We have no idea what hes telling these girls when hes taking these photos
I don't think the partying is concerning... Well it is, but I assume for most of us it would be rather hypocritical to turn up our noses at controversial or compromising behviour when under the influence/partying with friends.
Moreover, if Miss Carta is so offended by the photo perhaps she could just ask Mark to take it down? In my experience, the last time Mark was in Melbourne young party-goers were THROWING themselves in front of his camera- and many were even proud to have shots like this on Cobrasnake!
The girl does however need a good feed, obviously she doesn't have a Greek grandmother but she's more than welcome to borrow mine. I heard some disturbing news in London which may or may not be conjecture, but apparently she wasn't cast for a show because she was deemed 'too thin'.
xx
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