Everyone loves a costume party, and perhaps no one more so than legendary photographer Annie Liebovitz, famous for her perfectionism and many elaborately styled photographs.

Here are just three photographs from Killers Kill, Dead Men Die, an award-winning series of film noir scenes she created for Vanity Fair with a team of talented professionals, including VF's revered fashion and style director, Michael Roberts, Oscar-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, and some of the most iconic actors of our time.

Somehow I missed this when it first came out. But it's awe inspiring, and worth a reprisal here, on All Hallows Eve.

Go here to find links to the series slide show (16 captioned photos) as well as behind-the-scenes footage and photos of "the big shoot."

Go here for Annie Liebovitz's article about creating this film noir series.

For a previous Koloist post about Annie Liebovitz and Kolo, go here.

If you missed it last year, for a Kolo Halloween project idea by our own Jules Bianchi, who likes dressing up her pooch in costume, go here.

Happy Halloween

- Ugo

Dream Archives - Portal #009 by Lie Fhung: Altered KOLO Havana Box, acrylic, binder's board, IKEA glass dish, nails and porcelain.

Artist Lie Fhung completed this Portal #009 of her art installation called "Dream Archives," which she's been creating using archival Kolo Havana Boxes. This one, along with other Dream Archives “Portals,” will exhibit beginning this November 2009 in Jakarta, Indonesia at SIGIarts Gallery.

About this piece, Fhung explains:

The porcelain baby is from the first batch of firing I did about a couple of months ago. I considered glazing it but in the end decided not to. Due to the reflections cast by the glass dish, it's quite difficult to get a good photo of this piece -- that is, without showing either me or my tripod!

Fhung painted the circular pattern on the lid of the Kolo Havana -- a very thin layer of acrylic paint.

Visit Lie Fhung's web sites here.

- Ugo

He hails from California, but Koloist Contributor and commercial photographer Sean Arbabi has taught photography to thousands of people in more than 20 countries. His photographs have appeared in more than 250 publications, including the nature photographers' holy grail, National Geographic.

Some Kolo photo albums I'm puttin' together - a summer camping trip, my daughters' school portraits, and a guys' trip - great albums, archival and stylish- showed them on my segment on The View From the Bay (ABC San Francisco).

This is one of a mix of shots of gear that I'm using or used, tested out, reviewed, and enjoyed, as seen on my Gear Head Facebook album.

More about Sean Arbabi in his bio in the right-hand side bar, and links to his sites at this previous post.

- Ugo

Do you recall the invention posted on Koloist, from Patrick Ng, called the mind.Depositor? If you haven’t seen this invention before and want to see what it is all about, go here. Patrick is known to take components of different products and develop hybrid, resourceful, imaginative inventions.

The mind.Depositor is Patrick’s GTD (Getting Things Done) tool, an organizational savior for Patrick and his followers. The creation holds 4 x 6 index cards that are categorized by medium Kolo Havana clear tabbed dividers. The newest version is housed in a medium, black leather Kolo Essex Travel Book which he has adapted in unique mind.Depositor fashion.

Well, months ago when I received a long awaited Essex in leather, I decided that I wouldn't want to put it into rough use as a notebook. So I employed the law of subtraction, took away the refills and elastic loops and made the cover my new GTD tool.

The back side of the window pocket becomes very useful to hold a notepad as a temporary drop box too, how perfect! With a few more creative twists, you can secure the cards when enclosed, unfold the cover all the way to make an "A" stand so you can see your top index card in standing position, etc.

Cool. Thanks, Patrick.

For more information on the newest version of the mind.Depositor, as well as directions on how to make your own, check out Scription, Thoughts on Stationery and Beyond.

The Kolo Essex Leather collection debut to be announced soon.

- Kate

Our friend HC sent in this photo of her Kolo Essex Travel Books:

I keep a pair of Kolo Essex Books -- the medium for sketchbooks and the small for keeping photos and a calendar. In all the cover windows, I use fragments of letters and notes from people that I know... I don't care what the words say, I just like the looks of the handwriting. To me, it's purely aesthetic. And there's something personal and comforting about the handwriting of friends and loved ones.

- Ugo