Implications and Experience Archive

Attention: this is the Archive

2008-02-15T19:10:00.004-05:00

This is now the I&E Archive blog for entries from 2006-2007. To view the current entries and such, please visit http://garymphoto.com

Signing off for 2007

2007-12-31T18:04:00.000-05:00

One of the things that's been occupying my time and mind lately has been entering a few different competitions closing out the end of the year. Just got word from the Erotic Signature Competition that, while I finished "out of the money," one of my shots "Cruel Shoes" (featuring Iris) was chosen as one of the winners to appear among the 200 pieces in the book, "The World's Greatest Erotic Art of Today" Volume II to be published in May 2008. Congratulations also to Johnny Flamethrower, James Graham, Dave Levingston, Lochai, Jim Young, as well as the other included artists. And as always, thank you Iris for helping to create what's becoming a signature image for me.

The ES competition includes photography, sculpture, paintings, drawings, digital illustrations, etc. and while I'm not sure the exact number of competitors, there was an online gallery featuring all the pieces entered, and I would estimate the number to be well over 1000. There also appears to be plans for a traveling exhibit of show pieces from this year and last year, so I might have to venture to one of the exhibit cities when the time comes. The organizers indicate that 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to a charity voted upon by members of the site (they're making their money on entrance fees, etc). If you'd like to purchase a signed copy of the book through me, please let me know with a comment here, or via e-mail to garymphoto {at} gmail {dawt} com. I'll make more details available here once I get them, a little closer to the publication date.

So, between that good news, fun shoots over the weekend, and some other encouraging words and signs from various sources, it looks like things are on the upswing as I head into 2008. I'd like to thank all the models I've been fortunate enough to work with throughout the year -- without you, these images would be a lot less interesting. Thank you to my friends, old and new, for their encouragement and support throughout the year. And thanks to you regular readers of this little exercise in self-indulgence, especially those of you who take the time to comment now and again. Wishing you all a happy new year's and all the best in 2008.

Table manners

2007-12-29T23:50:00.000-05:00

Today's group shoot was a lot of fun overall, with a few somewhat expected no-shows in the mix. It's almost necessary to overbook simply because car trouble, bad weather, finances, personal problems or whatever invariably result in what I would guess to be a 20% late cancel/no-show rate. It's understandable, since nobody's getting paid to take part, but still disappointing when someone you were looking forward to working with can't make it. NEVERTHELESS, I was able to work with six wonderful models, a couple new faces and several returning favorites including Miss Kittie (above) and Dreamscapes (below) -- these shots were from warmer days, but sort of two different perspectives on a favorite table in a favorite window. (Someone suggested to Dreamscapes that this shot would maka good billboard for a furniture company. Interested parties can contact me via the blog.) Look forward to seeing shots from today here soon.

After the shoot, about 25 or 30 models and photographers and such ascended on a local bar/restaurant where we were wisely sequestered from the rest of the clientele...

Tomorrow, I'm doing something of an impromptu shoot with a young lady I met at a wedding I helped Andi shoot a few months ago... trying to recall if I mentioned the wedding here before, but it was one of the nicest weddings I can recall attending, and the reception was a blast. But I digress... besides being tall and beautiful, she really struck me as someone with a strong presence, wit, and charm. She's not really modeled much before, but I'm confident that she'll do great in front of the camera, and I just hope I can manage to capture some of her spirit in our images. Been a while since I've looked forward to a non-nude shoot this much. Stay tuned for her, too.

Resolution

2007-12-28T07:46:00.000-05:00

After a long stretch at home, looks like I'll have a bit of adventure to wind up 2007. Shooting most of Saturday, Sunday morning, and from there, it's sort of up in the air. Half tempted to just loaf around for a couple days, but part of me feels compelled to get back to my desk and back to work, no matter how non-productive I might be.

Welcome Teddie Fans

2007-12-26T14:53:00.000-05:00

I've noticed lately that I get a small, but steady, amount of traffic from Teddie's portfolio page on ModelMayhem. She cleverly uses a link to all the posts tagged with her name, and lets visitors to her portfolio know they can see more of her shots and read all the nice things I have to say about her. A good way to expand beyond the 20 images they allow there... I'll continue saying nice things about her, except she's a little too far away. Just before her graduation, we'd made plans to schedule a shoot, even scouted out an interesting location, but between her finals and working and my schedule, we just never managed to find a time before she left. So, I'm hoping she'll find a reason to pay a visit down here, or maybe I'll finally make my long-promised Chicago junket a reality. Meanwhile, here's a few more shots of her to help melt the chill of winter.

Dirty minded...

2007-12-26T00:43:00.000-05:00

This shot sort of reflects my state of mind trying to decide what to enter for the Dirty Show. The deadline is rapidly approaching, and I have a bunch of contenders, and a variety of input and opinions on what are the best choices. A lot of factors go into it... what will break through the clutter of several thousands of images being entered? Campy/funny or beautiful/artistic or just the most blatantly sexual images? (Yes, there have been a few of those from time to time.) I know I've complained on here before about similar situations, and in some ways, it's a good problem to have, as opposed to having too few suitable images to enter. I just seem to choose differently from almost anyone else, so do I pick what *I* like best, or what I think is going to get me in the show, or what other people think will get me in?

I know some people shoot things specifically for a certain show or event just a few weeks before they're needed. I tend to keep this show in the back of my mind all year, so when an idea or situation presents itself, I shoot images thinking "THAT will be a good one for Dirty." So, here I sit with a bunch of images from the past year, trying to narrow it down to just four shots. Another factor is the image submissions are limited to 504 pixels high or wide, which just seems tiny to me (images I post here are generally 800 pixels) so picking something that will "read" at that size is important.

I thought I'd come in tonight and get it all figgered out, but I'm more confuseder than before I started. I may just pick images from a hat before this is over...

400

2007-12-24T12:26:00.000-05:00

Well, if you go by Blogspot's tally, this is the 400th entry to I&E, even though the real number is slightly higher. I'm not sure if I should consider 400 blog entries a substantial accomplishment, or a colossal waste of time. Comments anyone?

Well, it is Christmas Eve, so I'd like to take this chance to wish you all a most excellent Decemberween and a Happy Festivus!

Here's another shot of Sarah from our holiday snack cake series...

type/erase

2007-12-21T21:17:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, I'll just type and type and still not be able to make sense of certain things, so those get shuttled into the 'draft' folder, probably never to see the light of day.

Here's Mandy, seemingly in the dead of night...

Still tied...

2007-12-20T11:33:00.000-05:00

Had a shoot last night with Liz Ashley, who was in the midwest on a brief tour before heading back to Texas. She's in very high demand and has traveled all over the world shooting in some incredible locations -- kind of hard to believe she'd find herself in Dayton, OH, but there she was. Very friendly and relaxed, but with a lot of ideas and great instincts for posing. And in a way, I now feel I have a pretty good idea what Jessica Simps0n would look like nude.

Although I was there in plenty of time before the shoot, it wasn't until we were ready to get started that I discovered that my wireless flash trigger wasn't working. When using studio strobes, something needs to fire the strobes when the camera shutter is clicked. I've been using an inexpensive but (usually) reliable wireless system -- the trigger mounts to the camera "hot shoe" and the receiver connects to one of the flash units. This lets me position the flash pretty much anyplace, and I can be right next to it, or across the room, thanks to the wireless trigger.

So, last night it decides to crap out on me, and I had to go back to a cord connection for the night, which renewed my appreciation for the wireless trigger. For starters, the end of the cord that connects to the camera is just a shallow plug without any sort of "grip" to it, so it tends to just fall out, and to plug it back in, it's necessary to turn the flash off, then try to connect the thing in the dark, then switch the flash back on. And, once the cord is connected, I can still only get about 6 or 8 feet away from the light source, which is pretty limiting. Plus, having the cord connected makes it really easy to trip over and either bring the camera or the flash unit crashing to the ground -- I've had it happen a couple of times with the camera when I couldn't go wireless. Not good. The ironic thing is earlier in the week, I'd told a friend about the benefits of going wireless, and it prompted me to order a backup set, but it didn't arrive in time for last night's shoot. Story of my life...

But I made due with the cord the way the pioneers did. It was sort of a short-notice shoot, so we kept it pretty simple, and I feel we got some nice results for the evening. Here are just a couple quick previews -- more to come. Thanks Liz!

Closer

2007-12-18T19:17:00.000-05:00

Saturday is the first day of winter, which means that after that, the days will start to get slightly longer... all this winter and darkness isn't doing much for my state of mind, and it hasn't even gotten seriously cold yet. The worst of the big storm missed us, which is nice, but that won't last long.

To warm us up a bit, here are a couple shots from this fall with "Plain Jayne Jones" -- I won't make the obvious joke. A fun afternoon's shooting, despite various obstacles... managed to fall in the stream just one time. Didn't have the heart to ask her to get down in the muddy bed of the creek. (Thanks Adam for the loan of your woods.) Guess I prefer the other kind of bed for shooting... Thanks Jayne!

Snow Tired

2007-12-15T17:08:00.000-05:00

Well, we got part one of the big storm, so it leads me to believe that part two will present itself as well. Not holding out much hope for shooting on Sunday.

These are Alexis... hard to believe we shot these on the tail end of LAST winter. Where does the damn time go?

Weather... or not.

2007-12-14T16:30:00.000-05:00

Well, this weekend is supposed to be another "storm of the century" here. I know it's been a pretty big problem out west and up north, but it seems about 75% of the time, these storms never amount to much here. Knock wood...

If the big storm passes us by, I hope to do another shoot with Danaid here this weekend. We've become pretty good friends in the year or so since we first worked together, and it's always a pleasure to spend time with her, and we always get work that I count among my best. So, cross your fingers and hope that the snowstorm passes us by.

Magical PXE

2007-12-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

A nice little selection from my shoot not too long ago with a model who goes by PXE. Just wonderfully expressive and utterly adorable, she's a joy to work with and a natural in front of the camera. Funny thing is, she's in school studying to be a photographer, and sort of fell into modeling for her fellow students. Ah, to be in school again... As a photographer, she's very inventive and does a great job of creating atmosphere... just a natural, and I'm looking forward to big things from this little pixie.

Framed!

2007-12-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

The picture frame within the frame thing is one of the oldest tricks in the book, but it can still be fun and interesting, especially in the hands of the charming Engle... it wasn't really planned, just happened to be at hand while we were working in that room, so we grabbed a few shots. Nice presentation...

Welcome NuExpo.com visitors

2007-12-10T22:41:00.000-05:00

Got a nice little feature over on a French site, NuExpo.com... they picked three shots from the blog featuring these lovely models.

Danaid
Zinn Star
Malinda & Mandy

Merci beaucoup mes amis!

Mood vs. Technical

2007-12-06T17:06:00.000-05:00

Here's an image from the summer, featuring London (see link at right) and Danaid. I like the contrast in their skin tones, and I think the softness of Danaid lends a nice mood to the image. What do you guys think?

Like Charlie Brown, I could certainly use a vacation and a change of scenery, and it never seems as simple as just picking up and going. I guess the question would be, if I decided to vacation someplace, would I take my camera? Should I try to arrange shoots? Would I end up working and negating the restorative powers of a vacation? Or if I left the gear at home, would I spend the entire trip wishing I'd brought it and seeing every striking shooting location and/or potential model as a missed opportunity? Maybe if I traveled more, I wouldn't feel the need for every trip to be productive. Or take the camera and just spend a week photographing seashells and sunsets and still life details. Snow on the ground and a temperature of 9°F this morning sure has me thinking... yes, he complains when it's too hot, he complains when it's too cold. Evidently, Goldilocks was an ancestor of mine.

Get some tape...

2007-12-04T19:10:00.000-05:00

...because AngelD's ripped!

That is all... as you were.

Welcome Avolare Fans

2007-12-01T14:41:00.001-05:00

Gary M photo., originally uploaded by avolare.

Katie West posted another image from our session a while back on her blog/Flickr, so welcome to all the folks who followed the link here from her page.

Thanks Katie... I'll get another installment to you soon. :)

P.S. Katie's having a print sale, so if you're interested in picking up some cool prints at a bargain price, check 'em out. Of course, you have to pay in Canadian dollars, which are now officially worth more than US dollars, so not the bargain they once were. ;) Thanks, George...

Dream Portfolio

2007-12-01T09:49:00.000-05:00

I realize there's nothing less interesting than someone else telling you about their dreams, but I've decided to risk it this morning.

I'm not one who usually remembers my dreams when I wake up in the morning. I wish I were. One type of dream I do vaguely recall is the one where I'm seeing dozens of photographic images, and the impression I'm left with in the dream is that they're excellent shots, but it's not clear if in the dream they're shots I'm dreaming I took, or if I'm dreaming I'm looking at someone else's pictures. Once in a while one of the images will stick with me after I wake up, but it's rarely anything to write home about, but I can't help thinking that among all these images are some good ideas if they would just stick with me -- I just awake with the impression that I've been looking at a series of stunning photographs. I don't know if this has anything to do with my fuzzy real-life memory, or if in the dream state, I'm not literally visualizing the images, but just manifesting the impression of having seen them. Weird.

These usually occur after a long day/evening of editing and/or surfing, as I tend to have these dreams after doing something repetitive, like playing a video game or painting a wall, or driving all day. Who knows? Maybe the technology to record one's dreams will emerge, sort of like that movie, Brainstorm. Then it's just a matter of inducing a weird dream, recording, and editing -- filling the world with nightmares of trying to find the classroom where the final exam is being given for the class you forgot to attend all semester. Aaagh!

The picture is the dreamy Iris, always a source of inspiration.

Post for the sake of posting

2007-11-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

Have had a lot on my plate, and a lot on my mind lately, but did want to at least check in and post a couple images.

Anyone still out there?

P.S. Thanks to Iris for the nice mention on her Univers d'Artistes "self-interview" there. They're posting so much stuff, it's already buried down the page, but the link above should take you right to it so you can check out what Iris has been up to and what she's thinking about these days. (BTW, these shots are Zinn Star NOT Iris.)

Thanks Liso...

2007-11-26T11:29:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to set up a photo shoot with Lisolette Gilcrest, an artist who is also one of the photographers in the MWSEP group. From seeing her self-portrait work and meeting her in person, I knew I wanted to do a shoot with her myself. :) Lucky for me, she took a chance and agreed. I'm very pleased with the results from a fairly impromptu session working in different spots around the RIC in Detroit, acting like we belonged there.

The other day, she decided to post a few of the photos on her Deviant Art page, along with a very sweet entry in her journal there. It was a much-needed pick-me-up in the midst of a dismal weekend. She's really a remarkable young woman and artist, and I'm honored that she decided to work with me, and for the kind words in her journal. With all that's going on in her life, that she took the time to do that means a lot to me. Love you too, Liso. <3

Torn

2007-11-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

This goes back a few months, but fits my mood today. Props to Boyd for the rigging and the set-up (he's out in the hall shooting the opposite angle), and thanks to "Capricious Token" for her part, bound and broken on the floor...

Dinner is served

2007-11-22T14:26:00.000-05:00

Just a little something from a while back that Raven wanted to try out... if I'd known in advance, I'd have brought some padlock meatballs and maybe some different razor blades, but I think it still plays pretty well. Seemed as good a day to post them as any.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Carving

2007-11-22T00:01:00.000-05:00

Just a strange choice for a Thanksgiving post... Miss May will do the carving.

Rethinking "Buy Nothing Day"

2007-11-20T22:09:00.000-05:00

In my earlier entry, I suggested people consider turning "Black Friday" into "Buy Nothing Day" and opt out of the wanton consumerism that will ensue in stores and malls across America. While people are already spending beyond their means on stuff they don't really need, it struck me that this weekend could be a "make or break" situation for our economy -- because of the media's obsession with "opening weekend" numbers. Just like a movie's success is now judged not by the reviews, the awards, or if it's any GOOD or not -- it's all about the opening weekend numbers. Nobody cares what it does its second week, or if it stays in theaters two months because of good word of mouth and eventually makes money. It all boils down to opening weekend now. Maybe I'm showing my age, but I remember when people had NO IDEA how much money a movie made -- it wasn't part of conversation. Now it's the entirety of the conversation when it comes to movies.

Take the movie "SiCKO" when it came out this summer. It had limited release, meaning not every multiplex in America had it, and maybe even some cities didn't have it. Whether this important film would "open wide" or even remain in theaters beyond the first week depended entirely on its opening weekend... so it was important that people went out and saw it immediately. I did my part, it was a hit, and went on to be very successful by documentary standards. It became a topic of national discussion and got people talking about the idea of universal health care, which may not have happened if it "only" made a few million its opening weekend.

What's this have to do with "Black Friday" you ask? Plenty. Pundits and news media are falling all over themselves to report whether sales this Friday are up to expectations, and their conclusion could very well effect the economy for the rest of the holiday season, and into next year. If reports are that consumer confidence is high and stores did well, people will believe the economy is OK and feel good about going out and spending, where as if stores don't do well, it will be reported as a harbinger of doom, causing people to stay home and start knitting their holiday gifts. This will lead to layoffs in retail and manufacturing and related industries, tighter credit, and so on and so forth -- based largely on how someone interprets the guestimates from the experts. The economy is on the brink, and this could definitely push things over the edge.

To a large part, the economy only does as well as people BELIEVE it is doing, so whatever the verdict, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Just like the stock market... instead of looking at the huge gains most stocks have made over the past couple years, people have the jitters due to some sub-prime loans, so they're panic selling, which drives prices down and creates more panic selling. It's also prompting the US dollar to take a beating compared to world currencies, which could spell real trouble. Of course, it doesn't help that W. has borrowed almost a TRILLION dollars for this pointless quagmire that will only serve to destabilize world economies, or far worse. The world's respect for and confidence in the U.S. hasn't eroded over the past 7 years -- it's crumbled. All due to fear and stupidity...

So, buck up campers, make your list, check it twice, make sure you have headroom on your charge cards, and get out there and spend! If only to help create a placebo effect for our sick economy... or at least score some cool stuff before the shit comes down.

The photo is Mandy, doing an interpretive dance expressing the confusion and angst of Alan Greenspan's failed policies. Or maybe she's just posing beautifully as she does so effortlessly.

Angie in bloom

2007-11-17T00:58:00.000-05:00

Angie is a model I first shot with about a year ago, when she still lived in northeast Ohio. She's since moved "home" and lives just a few minutes from me. She contacted me this spring to let me know that she's expecting, and wanted to know if I'd help her document the progress of her pregnancy, which I felt was a nice honor unto itself. We've been shooting every 3 or 4 weeks, and there was a bit of a backlog in the images, so I got a bunch to her last week. She posted several on her OMP, and I posted some on mine, and evidently the folks there like her "great with child" look as these four images were showcased (that's Danaid posing with her). We're due to go again soon, so stay tuned as the story (and the baby) develops. Thanks Angie!

Buy Nothing Day

2007-11-15T17:26:00.000-05:00

Just a little early reminder that Buy Nothing Day is coming up next Friday, Nov. 23. As I mentioned last year, the objective is to try to get Americans to stop defining ourselves as consumers, and a first step is not joining in on the frenzied spending on the most heavily promoted shopping day of the year. Granted, it's not a big sacrifice for me to stay out of over-crowded stores, but I do try to observe by not buying meals out or shopping online. And honestly, I'm not sure they could discount anything enough to make me want to fight the traffic and crowds on that particular day. Probably will let myself sleep late, then try to catch up on editing and stuff a bit.

With so much economic bad news in the wind, and US savings rates at Depression-era levels, this year it makes more sense than ever to not join the crowd, not go further into debt by charging a lot of purchases, and maybe make plans to minimize gift giving, or go with more personal items, like something home made. So, consider simplifying your life, and Buy Nothing on November 23.

2007-11-14T19:56:00.000-05:00

Withdrawn

2007-11-13T09:50:00.000-05:00

"Better to be silent and be thought a fool than to speak and remove all doubt..."

Was talking with another photographer who has a blog, and he said he was probably going to be backing away from the whole blog-forum-comment thing. Maybe he's right, and he's not the only one to express this view lately. Too much drama, so much potential for backlash and hard feelings, things so easily misinterpreted, and for what?

(Of course, does making a statement like this have additional drama inherent in it?)

"Never miss a good opportunity to shut up."

Maybe I should just let the pictures do the talking for a while. Like Mandy here, bending over backwards to please.

"I'm just a soul whose intentions are good... Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood." (The Animals)

_______ Beauty...

2007-11-11T12:45:00.000-05:00

On edit: Since two of the three parties mentioned in this entry asked that it be reinstated, here it is, slightly edited to remove reference to the third person, and to render it politically correct.

Had the pleasure of working with the famed Mandy again yesterday, who was joined for part of the session by my new friend Malinda. Mandy has only been modeling for about a year and a half now, but caught fire immediately and in that short time she has worked with many of the top photographers in the midwest, as well as being a featured model at a number of photo workshops around the country. Her physique is truly remarkable, and it's no wonder that she's highly sought after for figure work, plus she's just adorable and is just delightful to spend time with. (That's her in front on the top photo, and in the middle photo.)
Malinda is just starting to get her feet wet with modeling. She'd contacted me to do a private session of pin-up, lingerie and nude photos to give to her husband, and once she got over her initial jitters, she really got into it and enjoyed the experience. We'd done a couple other shoots since, but yesterday was her first experience working with another model -- and we got some beautiful results. I think she's doing great, and she's enjoying it so much that she's planning to start exploring modeling further after the first of the year. As with Mandy, the enjoyment and enthusiasm Malinda brings to the shoot is wonderful. I'm looking forward to working with her more, and seeing how she does when she broadens her horizons a bit.

The Dark Side

2007-11-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

As I sit here re-re-uploading images to a site where I'm hoping to order some prints, I'm just realizing how tired I sometimes get of being a Mac guy and being incompatible with simply everything. These people evidently don't want my files. I've tried three different browsers and two FTP clients, and finally got one of the FTP clients to work, but then *poof!* the files disappeared, along with the album that contained them, so I get to spend another 45 minutes or so uploading them AGAIN to see if they'll "take" this time. And the galling thing is they're not even MY pictures... doing someone a favor, and as the saying goes, "no good deed goes unpunished."

So, is it time to go over to the dark side and get a "Windows" machine of some sort? Seems some can be had ridiculously cheap, so maybe it would be worth getting one just for times like this when there's something I want to do, but a PC would make it much easier. Or the times when someone is asking ME questions about how to do someting on their PC, at least I'd have a way of looking at the same menus and shit they're looking at.

"Oh, but Gary, the NEW Intel Macs can run Windows, too!" -- I highly doubt it, honestly. I messed around with "Virtual PC" and those other emulation things back in the day, and they were virtual useless. I have a hard time believing it's going to be any better now, plus I'd have to buy the emulation software AND a copy of Windows (Not Vista), and for that I can practically get a cheap Dell with it's own monitor and everything.

My so-called state-of-the-art Mac's performance has been less than impressive over the past 11 months. Sometimes, the beach ball of doom just will NOT go away. Who knows? Maybe I'm unwittingly hosting dodgy websites which is using all my CPUs and DSL bandwidth, but Apple doesn't acknowledget that problems can occur, therefore there are no decent diagnostic tools to determine just WTF is going on under the hood. Read this week that someone has written one of the first "Trojan Horse" malware programs that will target Macs, too... maybe it's just the first one they've found.

And to top it off, Apple stock has dropped 10% or so in the past couple days, along with the rest of the collapsing market...

The dark can sometimes be good, though, as evidenced by Lynz and Penny, yet again.

Something in the water?

2007-11-06T11:13:00.000-05:00

First a clarification... my entry from Monday regarding BT announcing that he was giving up erotic photography evidently presumed a bit too much. He's since clarified that, essentially, he'll continue to do photography, but is going to downshift from the NC-17 and R-rated stuff to more like a PG-rating, eliminating the nudity and more explicit aspects of his work, but continuing his satirical, surreal, and absurdist themes, along with other photographic pursuits. I guess I wasn't the only one to read too much into his initial announcement, but it's good to know that he'll still be keeping his hand in.

On the downside, Boyd has announced that once he's done with his obligations in December, he'll be putting down his camera for a while, maybe for good. His reasons seem to be more personal, so I'll let you read his explanation on his page. He says he'll continue to run the group shoots at Collingwood, so he won't disappear completely, but won't be shooting. Obviously, I wish him the best in his other pursuits, and hope that this move will help him find what he seeks. It's all a process of discovery.

Here's AngelD from one of my many productive days at the Collingwood.

Taking stock...

2007-11-05T17:05:00.000-05:00

The things one finds on the web...

Now, I've heard of "fantasy football" leagues, and even "fantasy stock picking" where people buy and sell stocks using imaginary money... or is that the actual stock market? Could actually be good practice before deciding to invest real money in the Wall Street Casino. But the other day, I stumbled upon "Blogshares" where people pretend to invest in various blogs as if they were stocks and somehow they determine valuations and performance and such. The fact that this exists strikes me as doubly "fantastic" -- using imaginary money to buy and sell shares in things without actual prices. Maybe it's the speculation as to the value of the content in terms of potential ad appeal, and the number of links seems to have some bearing. Anyway, if you'd care to "invest" in this little blog o' mine, check out my Blogshares prospectus. Remember, buy low, sell high.

Almost forgot... my prospectus has this ominous warning: "Implications and Experience suffered a huge setback with several analysts urging their clients to ditch the stock as it suffered a public relations disaster." I have NO clue what that's referring too... fantasy PR disasters?

This is Dreamscapes, just because she rocks. ;)

Dance Revival

2007-11-04T17:50:00.000-05:00

In more uplifting news from another friend of mine, Dave Levingston had a blog entry this weekend regarding his rediscovery of the joys of dance photography. While he is not entirely giving up nude figure work, it does sound like he is shifting his focus to modern dance. Dave retired from his day job not too long ago, so he's had time to travel in pursuit of his outdoor nude work, but with the colder weather settling in for a while, and the academic year in full swing, it sounds like a great opportunity for him to do some exciting work.

I've not quite explored dance photography proper in the Lois Greenfield mode, but it is something I've been interested in doing, and have toyed with on occasion when a particularly nimble model (like Miss Elisabeth here) wanders into my studio. I wish Dave continued success in this revived pursuit.

Another farewell...

2007-11-04T15:19:00.000-05:00

Note: See the clarification above.

Just read today that my friend Bruce, aka BT Charles, is "turning the page" on his erotic photography and essentially closing up shop. He'll be doing photography as a hobby, concentrating on nature, landscapes, and architecture. I guess this has been in the wind for a while now, as he's dropped a few hints that "the thrill is gone" and has had a lot on his plate personally, so I'm not entirely surprised, but talking to him just last weekend it sounded like he was still going to stick with it for a while longer. While I support him in his decision to step away from a pursuit he found had become a burden, it won't be the same without him in the game. I do hope that he won't disappear completely from the art community.

BT's retirement has also is given me food for thought. He had gained quite a level of success and recognition within the local and national art community, even extending internationally, with work in more than a few prominent publications, numerous exhibits and inclusion in several permanent collections, strong sales of his work, and a variety of other achievements that seemed to be happening more and more frequently. And while I'm sure he found these to be rewarding and gratifying, evidently it still came down to whether or not he was enjoying the process of creating new work. Who knows? Maybe in six months or six years he'll get the urge again, but walking away from it when the inspiration is gone is probably preferable to feeling obliged to keep at it and hoping that lightning will strike a second time. I hope he won't mind me conjecturing on some of these points, but whenever I hear about someone reaching a decision like this, it makes me take stock, too.

I guess one lesson I can take away from this is that, while recognition and sales are good things, if the art isn't there for its own sake, does the rest really matter? One can have goals and objectives and dreams, but those generally aren't enough to actually lead to achievement. The key seems to be enjoying the process itself, regardless of outcome or reward. I'm sure BT could press on doing what he does and reaping the rewards, even if his heart wasn't in it, but life is short, so do what you love as long as you love it.

Take care Bruce...

Reminder: Boyd's new show opens Friday

2007-11-01T18:10:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder to you folks near Toledo/Detroit that Boyd's newest exhibit of erotic and art photography will be opening Friday, November 2nd, with a reception from 7-10pm at the Colllingwood Arts Center Gerber House Gallery. I won't be able to attend, but I encourage anyone in the area to stop by the reception, enjoy a glass of wine, and check out some of Boyd's beautiful recent work.

Happy Halloween!

2007-10-31T10:28:00.000-04:00

Didn't manage to shoot any spooky stuff for Halloween this year, but perhaps a masquerade image will do the trick (or treat). This is Redemption from early this year... a terrific shoot, but she moved to the east coast, so we haven't had a chance to go again. Strange how people drift in and out of your life, isn't it?

Also kind of strange... the Halloween stuff arrives in the stores shortly after the 4th of July, but because all the parties were last weekend, and "Beggar's Night" in my area was on the 30th for some reason, and all the Halloween stuff in stores has been on clearance, it feels like the day is over before it even happened. But I'm guessing some people will still be out howling at the moon tonight, especially all those IGUN folks, so I hope everyone enjoys themselves and gets their share of goodies and spookiness.

Cozy

2007-10-30T15:42:00.000-04:00

Another quick entry showing Ayden and Crystallynn getting cozy with one another. Once in a while I just marvel at just the intimate moments that I sometimes get to be privy to photograph. These models are also good friends in real life, so while it's just a simple embrace, I could feel the comfortable connection between them, and I believe I'd established a level of trust and confidence with each of them before doing these shots -- I hope that I managed to capture it in the images.

In a mood...

2007-10-29T13:28:00.000-04:00

...not sure why, but just in an odd mood today, so rather than blogging much, I thought I'd just share a couple moody shots of Laurie from a month or so ago. Enjoy.

Three for the road...

2007-10-26T18:30:00.000-04:00

Returning to the scene once more, this time for the 3rd Halloween Group Shoot at Collingwood. The first one two years ago was pretty noteworthy for me in several respects: meeting Andi (even though we didn't start dating until February), meeting Boyd and several of the models I still work with today, and sort of finding a "home away from home" in the Toledo/Detroit area. (Leave it to me to find one 150+ miles away with gas at $3/gallon.) But it was also when I started to think I might be able to do OK with this model photography thing. It was also about the time I was using the Lensbaby like crazy.

Have a couple things planned out for the day, but nothing really Halloween related. I'm not big into costumes or spooky stuff. There may be something mildly sacrilegious, but I'm actually thinking it might turn out pretty cool.

From the top, from two Halloweens ago, we have Atropos, Bree, Barbie, and Andrea. Thanks ladies!

Fire in the City

2007-10-23T22:31:00.000-04:00

Halloween is in the air, or maybe it's smoke from the San Diego fires. Report on the radio a few minutes ago said ~~910,000~~ 500,000 people have been evacuated from the area. That, and it appears that the California National Guard is vastly undermanned and underequipped to fight the fire. Gosh, I wonder where those soldiers and materiel went to?

Speaking of San Diego, Don Nelson just mentioned that he's quitting shooting for a while. Not sure if that means six weeks or six months. He says he does intend to keep blogging, so that's a good thing at least. The power of suggestion is getting stronger.

So, with Halloween pending, here's a somewhat ghostly image... ooh, spooky!

Unattainment for Men

2007-10-22T23:02:00.000-04:00

Back when I was in college, someone published a Playb0y parody magazine called "Playbore" with the motto "Unattainment for Men" which was probably the funniest thing about it. "Unattainment" was a good description of my attempts to obtain a couple of recent publications.

Several of the other blogs I link to and photographers I know have mentioned or have work in The Secret Photo Anthology #5, and while I wanted to get a copy, buying direct from the publisher is a little pricey (about $85) due to shipping to the US and the weak dollar vs. the Euro. I'd briefly seen Martin Class' copy at an art show a few weeks ago, and was inspired to do a little futher hunting. Turns out it was listed on Bud Plant's store as "backordered" so I went ahead and placed my order, not expecting it to actually ever ship. Well, nice surprise, I just got word that my copy has shipped, and I should have it by the end of the week. At this moment, Bud Plant's Website is showing that it's "in stock" for $60 plus shipping, which still ain't cheap, but well worth it. Probably will be a collector's item. I trust that buying from Bud rather than buying direct is still profitable for the publisher, Jürgen Boedt, so if you've had it on your wish list, this might be the way to go.

Also, the new magazine Carrie Leigh Nude has been very elusive, but I managed to track one down on eBay for something of a price premium. The premier issue features among other things, an article on Dave Rudin. So more copies may pop up on eBay, but it now appears that subscribing via the website will include the premier issue -- a recent development -- so if you've been looking for that, too, you may be in luck.

Decisions, Decisions

2007-10-19T16:24:00.000-04:00

An artsy one of Rose from the spring... just caught my eye, so I thought I'd share it here.

Decisions... have to start deciding a few things pretty soon. What work I'm submitting various places, what I want to try to do with the studio space, and the eternal question, what to wear to a halloween party next week. Suggestions welcome. It should be something simple and not require a lot of preparation. Maybe I'll swing by the Halloween store tonight to see what's available. There's also the option of having someone do some gory makeup thing on me, since before the party I'll be with at least one person who knows how to do that stuff. Not sure how long I can bear to wear it though. Or maybe I'll just paint a tiretread on the top of my shoe and wear three cameras around my neck to be a Britney Spears papparazzo... again, suggestions welcome.

Nue Overdue

2007-10-18T18:42:00.000-04:00

After shooting with her numerous times over the past two years, last month was the first chance Heather and I had to shoot actual nudes (if you don't count the heels that is). Thanks to the usual group shoot scheduling snafu, it was just a brief session (about 20 minutes of shooting). Still, I'm very pleased with the number of good shots we got. I think she is, too. Her comment? "Damn....that's me? My god those are amazing!" (*Blush*) I'm looking forward to the chance to go again and explore a wider variety of settings and ideas with her. Thanks Heather!

"You might say I'm unlearned..."

2007-10-17T14:31:00.000-04:00

Maybe it's just the onset of fall, but somehow this shot sort of captures my mood at the moment... thanks to Suzi for being fearless when getting the shots from this set.

Went to see Bob Dylan and Elvis Costello play last night, and while these are two of my all-time favorite artists, something about the evening left me cold. I'm not sure if concertgoing has changed, or I've changed, or both, but all night it seemed like I was waiting for ONE song to sound just a little like the recorded version. I knew better than to expect it from Dylan (he's notorious for this... seems it becomes a losing game of "I can name that tune in two verses and a chorus,"). For instance, he played Masters of War, which still stands up as a great anti-war song, perhaps today more than ever, but apart from the first line, it was unintelligible, so rather than being moved by the lyrics, it was just another mid-tempo sleeper. I knew Elvis would be performing solo, but I really missed his band, and while he threw in a few of the "greatest hits" there was a lot of newer, slower stuff that even I wasn't familiar with.

I realize this isn't a very artistic attitude to take... perhaps it's best to view it as an evening of reinterpreting and expression, and rather than comparing everything to the "original" version, the songs should have been enjoyed for the manner in which they were performed -- which I managed to do to some extent. But it's also about money at this point, as both performers are promoting the umpteenth re-issue of their best known works, and a wide array of $40 t-shirts, so would it kill them to perform a couple songs the way at least some of the audience would hope to hear it? I guess I'm getting to the point (age?) where the experience of trying to decipher lyrics doesn't feel rewarding enough to merit an evening of my time and $60 for a good (but far from great) seat next to Mr. & Mrs. Thimblebladder.

Or as Bob himself said, "I used to care, but things have changed." At least, I think that's what he said.

Losing track...

2007-10-15T12:15:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe it was over a year and a half ago that I spent an afternoon and evening with the wonderfully talented Katie Reider and her band. They were appearing at Peach's Grill out in Yellow Springs, and I asked if they'd mind if I did some band photos and such to expand that part of my portfolio. They set up but couldn't soundcheck for a while, so they had nothing better to do than sit for pictures for a couple hours. Really friendly and gracious, they had all sorts of patience as I tried various things (I think I'd just gotten my Lensbaby, and was trying it on everything) even though it was pretty chilly out. They ended up using a number of the shots in the design of the band website even though it was built a few months after the shoot.

I haven't really kept in touch with Katie and the guys. I've seen their show updates on MySpace and have considered making it out to see them, but haven't quite managed, since I'm traveling so many weekends. Then there was a MySpace bulletin this morning entitled "Katie Reider Benefits" -- so I opened it, and it turns out Katie is having radiation treatments for a tumor behind her eye, and there have been several fundraiser benefits to try to offset her medical bills.

"Some people have been asking where to send donations. Here is where you can do that.

Stonewall Center
Attn: Suzie Simpson
1160 N. High St.
Columbus. OH. 43201
*make checks payable to Katie Reider"

I wish Katie all the best for her treatment and speedy recovery, and if any of you can chip in, I'm sure she'd appreciate it. Or pick up a CD or buy a few songs from iTunes... you'll be glad you did.

This also points to a larger problem, because it seems every few months I hear about another musician or artist in the area who falls ill, or has an accident, and they have no insurance coverage or money to pay for treatment. So, their friends and fans will do a couple benefits, but honestly, I can't imagine even the most successful local benefit show raising more than a couple thousand dollars, which is a drop in the bucket in terms of medical costs. And for every musician/artist you hear about, there are hundreds or thousands of everyday people who find themselves in the same situation because of the expense and difficulty of purchasing health insurance. I'm sure most people who are trying to make a living as an artist or musician are pretty likely not to have insurance, just playing the odds hoping they don't get sick or anything.

I'm still amazed that so many people think that public health care is such a terrible idea. The recent stink over the S-CHIP program and Graeme Frost actually has some people saying that "oh, they should have to sell their house and business and go into debt to pay the medical bills because their kids were critically wounded in an auto accident" instead of saying "wow, the program that let his family PURCHASE discounted health INSURANCE sure was a good thing. It's probably helping lots of other people, too." We're already paying for universal health care, just not receiving it. I heard the math the other day, that if you compare Canadian taxes (which include most health care costs) against US taxes AND what we pay for health care, the Canadians come out money ahead. But the health insurance industry has lobbyists... all the US citizens have are Congress.

Quitting time?

2007-10-14T00:04:00.000-04:00

Strange, but in the past few days, I've read blog posts from several different photographers talking about taking a break from photography, in one form or another. Maybe it's the time of year, burnout from a busy summer, or something in the air, or just plain old coincidence. I know I need to slow down on the shoots, speed up on the editing, and get stuff out there into the world in some way other than this blog. Maybe the time to take a shooting break was BEFORE getting into this new space, because now that I have it and I'm paying rent, I'm obviously obliged to make use of it. Or so I tell myself.

I'm committed to group events the next three weekends, but after that, I think I'll take a break from those for a while at least. Unless of course something irresistable and amazing presents itself... like if I could miraculously attend Community Zoe Fest next week. Maybe I can start planning to attend next year...

This model goes by Sin, photographed this summer. I'd love to work with her some more, and she has friends she can refer, but I've not been able to take advantage of the opportunity. Now she's talking about moving to California, so that opportunity may go. But you can't chase every ambulance, as the attorneys might say.

I don't intend to stop shooting anytime soon... but I do need to refine and streamline things somehow... but you've heard that from me before. In the words of Bullwinkle, "This time for sure!"

Art of Naughtiness

2007-10-13T12:55:00.000-04:00

Boyd Hambleton will be having another exhibit of his photography at the Colllingwood Arts Center Gerber House Gallery, with the opening reception on Friday, November 2nd. Not sure if I'll be able to make this one as I'm obliged to be in Columbus the next day, but perhaps... all you Toledo/Detroit area folks should be sure to attend the opening reception, check out the photos, and maybe purchase one that strikes your fancy.

Looks like another kickass flyer design by Andi, too. :)

"Angels Cry..."

2007-10-13T00:33:00.001-04:00

"Engel schrei, teufel schrei, den mann warum ist" translates to "Angels cry, devils cry, man is the reason" -- the rather profound motto of a the model who goes by the name "Engel Schrei" -- I posted a couple of her last week. In a short period of time, she's become a very popular model, for good reason. She's started a new blog, Mann Warum Ist, so stop by and check it out and leave a word of encouragement. You can also leave a contribution there to help fund her move from Indianapolis to one of Ohio's cultural meccas... I'm sure she's moving this way just so we can work together more often. :)

I'm on her slate for the group shoot in a couple weeks, so with any luck, I'll have more to share before long. In the meantime, there are plenty more goodies from our first sessions in the queue.

More Reflected Glory

2007-10-12T10:28:00.000-04:00

Another site, 3kix, has picked up on Iris' blog and chose to feature a very complimentary entry she made a few days regarding our "Cruel Shoes" shot. So, thanks to Iris, as always, and thanks to 3kix. Check it out.

P.S. Not long after Iris was featured, 3kix did a little spotlight on my blog, taking a special shine to this shot of London... thanks!

Bending over backwards

2007-10-11T23:59:00.000-04:00

Got some good news today on a concern that's had me pre-occupied for a couple of weeks lately... I'm pretty sure the storm has passed. Been keeping busy nevertheless, doing a little shooting and trying to do more editing, and some other stuff. In the midst of a stretch where I'll have a lot more shoots. Going to meet lots of new people, and hopefully make some cool images. After this stretch, I gotta slow down.

These are Danaid, bending over backwards for the great shot... she never fails to impress me.

By the way, the book is still available, and I never did get around to raising the price.

And last time I checked, the blog's "comments" feature still works...

Amanda reckon with...

2007-10-10T20:47:00.000-04:00

I've been lucky as a photographer in that a number of the best nationally recognized figure models live within a few hours drive of me, and I've been fortunate enough to work with many of them. Amanda here was one of the first "big time" models who worked with me, and besides being sweet as pie and fun to work with, is a real natural as a model. She had her first baby a couple months ago, but I think she's already gearing up to get back in the modeling game. (She had done some beautiful maternity work as well, but we couldn't seem to work out a shoot while she was really showing.) Evidently, she's revamping her portfolio, and posted some more of our shots on her OMP portfolio, and these two were showcased. I reckon I need to find a way to work with her again soon...

Absolution

2007-10-08T19:41:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the absence... some good shooting and some bad traveling combined for a rather exhausting weekend, compounded by temperatures in the 90s.

In Ohio.

In October...

"Nothing to see here... no climate change... please just go about your business..."

Speaking of heat, here's the Absolute again...

Majestic...

2007-10-04T16:45:00.000-04:00

Two shots of the majestic Engel Schrei. She's tall and beautiful and natural and great to work with... she should go far. And I do miss that white wall.

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. The usual culprits of work, shoots, editing, and a few hours sleep every now and then have kept me from populating this blog more frequently. I've been a bit stressed as well, which doesn't help with productivity as much as one might think. Going to be away from a computer for most of the weekend as well, so please bear with us. Your visit is very important to us... your visit will be handled by the next available photographer.

Jenn Again

2007-10-01T20:44:00.000-04:00

Out of the blue today, it looks like I'll get the chance to work with Jenn Thomas again before long, too. These are from early 2006... I think we'll do some extra cool stuff this time. I'll keep y'all posted. :)

In the meantime, stop by and cast your vote for her to be Miss MySpace USA.

London

2007-10-01T20:37:00.000-04:00

A few more from my shoot with London a while ago... showcasers on her OMP page. Looks like I'll get to work with her again briefly, and possibly in the dark, in a couple weeks. :)

High praise...

2007-09-27T00:35:00.001-04:00

Once in a while a comment like this comes along...

"Those were some of my favorite images ever. You didn't take pictures of a model, you took pictures of Me and who I am, and that's exactly what I wanted. Thank you, Gary!"

Figure

2007-09-26T14:05:00.000-04:00

Love this one... that is all.

Penny turns up again

2007-09-25T10:21:00.000-04:00

I know I always say "just because" when I post pictures of Penny for no reason, but I guess there is a reason, in that I just think she photographs so well, and I really like the work we do together. Plus, she has such a wonderful spirit and energy to her, that the shoots are always fun. So, why not? Really should shoot with her again before the weather turns... of course, it's supposed to get to 91 degrees today, so planning for the weather is more than guesswork these days.

Champagne Dreams

2007-09-24T20:46:00.001-04:00

Just a quick "congratulations" to Carly on the launch of her new website, CarlottaChampagne.com.

She's been featured in a number of Playboy Special Editions and is one of their most popular website CyberGirls. As the name implies, she does lend an intoxicating sparkling quality to whatever she does, and it's been my pleasure to work with her a couple times. I still have more editing to do, but here are a couple goodies from our first shoot.

Ehme

2007-09-24T16:53:00.000-04:00

On the Road

2007-09-23T09:20:00.000-04:00

Just a brief report during a few minutes of downtime... weekend has been pretty good so far. At sort of the last minute I ended up going to the opening of the "Menage a Trois" exhibit at the River's Edge Gallery near Detroit. Friend and supporter BT Charles had new work on display, along with fellow MWSEP members Cheryl Button and Patty Izzo. Turns out there was a lot of other work on display, too, from the likes of VATO, Frank Piccolo, DVS, and many others. Plenty of wonderful work, as one would expect from these talented folks. The show will be up through November 19th, so if you're in the area, be sure to check it out.

Saturday was the Collingwood group shoot, which was also a benefit for Lithium Picnic's legal defense fund in his contract battle with SG. The shoot itself seemed a bit "off" as a lot of people seemed to be running late or getting lost or otherwise distracted. Or maybe that was just me. Still managed to get in three good (if brief) sessions -- look for samples here eventually. Some folks have taken issue with the various efforts to support Lithium Picnic -- from the serious ("I have a lot of unexpected medical bills...anyone going to hold a benefit to help me?") to the spurious ("I'm having a benefit to raise funds to upgrade my camera...please help.") The LP thing is something of a universal cause though as the case presents a central question for working photographers... when you sign an agreement to shoot for someone, how much of the work do they own, and how much of YOU do they own, as far as their ability to prevent you from doing other work, and for how long? It'll be interesting to see how this shakes out in court.

Ended up leaving the Collingwood at 2:00 to help Andi shoot Steph and Justin's wedding. Normally not a big fan of weddings, but these kids knew how to do it... the ceremony was outdoors in a sort of ampitheatre in the middle of the woods of a boy scout camp. The weather couldn't have been nicer, and there was enough tree cover that the photos should look good. Nice ceremony, then we took some time for the "formals" which for a change was fun as the wedding party did a bit of clowning around. The reception was nice, too, simple but very tasteful, yet still plenty of fun and someone did a great job of picking music for the assembled crowd. So, get to sort through a big stack of those shots soon.

Today I'm shooting with Suzi, a model I've not worked with in quite a while... we have a few ideas that should be interesting, so again, stay tuned.

The shots above are from last month's Collingwood event...

Cure for the Blues?

2007-09-21T15:36:00.000-04:00

Looking forward to a lively weekend on the road again... wish me luck!

Hanging out

2007-09-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

Again, another "too busy for a proper post, but don't want to leave you hanging" post... this time it's Raven in her very photogenic apartment.

Mischief

2007-09-20T00:28:00.000-04:00

Here's one of my favorite shots from a session at last month's Collingwood group shoot with "Mischief Vixen." It was a little more of a rough look, but some really interesting results to my eye.

The Replacements

2007-09-19T16:36:00.000-04:00

This shot is about 20 years old, the Replacements live onstage in Columbus, opening for X. I managed to get a camera in and grabbed two or three frames of the 'Mats before a bouncer came over and made me put it away. When X came out, I maneuvered a ways away from the bouncer (it was general admission with a crowd of people on the ballroom floor), and shot half a dozen frames before he started towards me. I quickly rewound the film and popped it out of the camera and into my pocket, and managed to load my second roll by the time he got to me. As he threatened before, he demanded that I take the film out of my camera and give it to him, which I did, then just enjoyed the rest of the show. When I got back the processed slides from the show, I was really pleased that this shot came out so well... you can see the faces of every member of the band, and they're all in pretty good rock and roll poses. A few of the shots of X came out well, but I'm not sure where I have those stashed... this is not a great scan either, but it popped up on my hard drive the other day, so I thought I'd see who's paying attention out there.

A busy weekend...

2007-09-17T14:20:00.000-04:00

It was another busy weekend, worthy of further reporting when I have a bit more time... for now, here are London and Danaid getting a little busy themselves.

Reminder

2007-09-14T12:21:00.000-04:00

Any of you Detroit area people, please be sure to stop out at the People's Art Festival on Saturday, and especially look for the Streetwise Art exhibit space inside the main building. Follow the cars, follow the signs... I'll be around the festival most of the day and probably in the exhibit space quite a bit. There will be over 60 framed pieces by 25+ artists and photographers, as well as "loose prints" for sale. I'll have a few copies of my book, Dark Light on hand, too.

I just found out that K Leo and Johnny Flamethrower will have work in the show, and one or both of them may even be in town from the big city, so all the more reason to stop by and take part in the arts festival!

This is Crystallynn, from a shoot in July, obviously the one featured on the flyer. One of my favorite PG-rated shots. :)

Almost Blue

2007-09-13T18:48:00.000-04:00

I've added a new link to Blue Art Nudes to the list at right, a blog run by Gunther, who also runs International Glamour Pictures. I'd not visited the sites before today when he sent me a request for a link, but I see he's working with a theme of "blue" nudes. The blue shot at left here is one of mine, Katelyn, from sometime in 2006--a fairly crude example of the technique. The "blue" look can be achieved with simple digital "cross processing" when shooting RAW -- shifting the color temperature of a normal exposure, or the subject can be lit with blue gels, or both.

I point it out because it's another example of someone taking a fairly common technique (or a simple visual element) and deciding to build a theme or project around it, in this case to the extent of having a couple websites devoted to it. This is something I've been considering a bit; whether the idea of doing a thematic project is something I want to pursue further. I've explored a few themes, and actually have something along these lines 90% ready to unveil, but maybe it's time to conjure up a new one. I've had an odd idea in the back of my mind for a while. I think I'll have a few chances to road test it in the next couple weeks...

The other thing I feel like saying is that just because one person starts working with a "theme" of one sort or another, that doesn't make it off-limits for others. Generally, themes are of an elemental level, such as repeated use of a color, or a wardrobe item, or a setting, or a prop, or a trick of the light, or using paint or oil or water or grape jelly on the model, or some simple notion that can be repeated with variations. For some, the theme is a short-lived exercise, maybe a few sessions, or maybe long enough to fill a book, and for others, it endures for years or even an entire career. But just because Richard Avedon did many B&W portraits on a stark white background, that doesn't mean "white" belongs only to him. Granted, if someone does portraits in that style (especially if 4x5 negative frame edges are added after the fact), they bring the inevitable comparisons onto themselves. And some themes are so deliberately unique, such as the Andy Warhol "Factory Treatment," that to get anywhere near them is almost certainly a case of imitation. But there will always be those who look at art to compare and find similarities, and those who look at each piece (or project) on its own merits.

A Fairy Tale

2007-09-13T14:06:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, a photographer shot with a model who went by the name Fairy... And at long last, here she is. This one actually goes back a ways, as some communication problems and miscellaneous delays kept the editing from actually being completed until this week. Slowly catching up, slowly. I'll let you know how "happily ever after" works out.

Waifer thin...

2007-09-12T14:48:00.000-04:00

Here are a few of Casey from the Collingwood group shoot in July... hesitated a bit posting these because she looks like she might not be of age, when in fact, she's 21. Used to be someone might describe her as "coltish" but maybe "waifish" is a more current term. She does look a bit like she stepped out of a Jock Sturges book though...

I really like these shots, and the cohesive feel they have, while each is pretty distinct unto itself. I guess one thing I might change is the crucifix necklace... it shows up in a LOT of the other images in her portfolio, but then again, it works well in my shots, so does it really matter? Thanks to Casey for a lovely "get acquainted" shoot...

Seeing Stars?

2007-09-12T00:27:00.000-04:00

Iris pointed out a little irony that I'd missed relative to the Nerve.com contest. On the non-member page that shows the contest winners, the naughty bits are hidden behind stars, presumably to protect underage viewers from seeing inappropriate content. Or to just entice you to join Nerve.com to see the uncensored content. The funny part is that on this photo, there are three stars, with one added between the knees, even though nothing at all is visible there, but implying that there's something to see. Not sure if it's creative marketing, or a "better safe than sorry" policy or what, but I found it amusing. Nerve.com is a cool site with lots of great photography and much more... so go ahead and get a membership so you can see all the content without seeing stars.

6 years later...

2007-09-11T11:01:00.000-04:00

Once again, I'd drafted a lengthy rant, but it belongs someplace else. It was basically a diatribe about how nineteen guys with boxcutters managed to reduce "the land of the free and the home of the brave" to, well, let's just say something far less noble. It makes me sad to see who we've become and what we've done to our own liberties under the pretext of protecting them... I'm sure our own self-destructive behavior has surpassed OBL's wildest dreams.

News from Nerve... and a Vanishing contest

2007-09-09T23:25:00.000-04:00

Just saw that the winners of the June Nerve.com Photo Contest were announced, and I'm pleased to say that I finished in the money again. The June theme was "sexiest photo of someone in a moving vehicle" and while technically, the vehicle that Iris is lounging in was parked, I guess the fact that it's a vehicle was close enough, as only a few of the entries actually had a vehicle in motion. Unusual that they didn't post a commentary to go along with the selections, but I think they're catching up a bit so may be short on time. No complaints here... Many thanks of course to Iris for the shoot... a quick session that's proven to be quite productive. (note: this screen capture is edited to remove ads, etc.)

Coincidentally, the winners of the VanishingTattoo.com photo contests were just announced--basically, a contest for photos featuring tattoos. Some are nudes of models who have tattoos, others are portraits of various tattooed people from all walks of life, or there were some that were simple close-ups of the tattoo art itself. I'd entered in April, May, June, and July, but they'd not announced any winners since March... I was sort of wondering if they'd ever announce them, but they kept adding a new contest each month, so it seemed it was still viable. I actually meant to enter in August, too, but was just too busy and slipped my mind until after the deadline. However, they've decided that they weren't getting enough entries to justify the monthly prize, so they combined four months into two contests and simply nullified the August contest. I did manage to "place" in the April/May and June/July contests, but out of the money. I do think I have an invitation there, too, to submit a portfolio of some of my work that features tattoos, so I'll need to get that rounded up at some point to include there. Thanks to Amber, Ginger, for being in the chosen photos, and all the models from the other photos I'd entered.

Dead End Girl

2007-09-07T11:56:00.000-04:00

This is Kelly, aka "Kelly Cadaver" aka "Dead End Girl," and these shots are from the House of Nightmares event a few weeks ago. Not sure how I missed posting some of these, so I'm making up for it today... Kelly is also an excellent photographer and, coincidentally, she will also be showing her work tonight at the Dark Arts Expo at the Foundry nightclub in Dayton. Hope you can make it out to the show, and hope Kelly and I manage to find another time to work together soon. :)

Good company

2007-09-06T18:30:00.000-04:00

Got a nice little mention on another art nude "aggregator" blog, xmagx. Seems these things are popping up all over the place, and they tend to do a nice job of collecting images and links from a variety of high quality photographers, or images following a particular "theme." One new one, xmagx, is running the gamut a bit, but I think will be worth keeping an eye on. Another new one, Sensual Art and Photography picked up my recently posted shot of Penny (below). I have a list of links to various art nude sites over on the right column. Some of the talent collected on these sites is just phenomenal, from all over the world, and it can be a little daunting looking at the images... but I try to remember that I'm included in these collections as well. To be sure, it's gratifying to be among such good company.

Events on the horizon

2007-09-06T16:25:00.000-04:00

FRIDAY, September 7 will be the "Dark Arts Expo v.2.0" at the Foundry Night Club in Dayton. I'll have a large selection of new prints there (including the shot of Aurora above), as well as a few favorites, so if you're looking for those back-to-school art nudes, look no further. Thanks to Kevin at Dark Mannequin Designs for putting the evening together.

On Saturday, September 15, Streetwise Art of Detroit will have gallery space exhibiting work from 25+ artists, including a number from the Summ(er)otica show. I'll have a couple pieces hanging in the gallery as well as a selection of matted pieces for sale. It's part of the People's Arts Festival in Detroit -- during the day, there will be over 140 individual artists and merchandise booths, along with 25 bands throughout the heart of the Russell Industrial Center, as well as an exclusive private gallery hosted by Streetwise Art within the Russell Industrial Center. Thanks to Adam and Lisolette for putting the Streetwise part of this event together. That's my shot of Crystallynn on the flyer, BTW.

On edit: it looks like I won't be displaying at the Detroit Erotica Ball after all... I was relying on a few other folks to have my work "tag along" with theirs, but for various reasons that won't be happening, and I'm not really in a position to handle the details remotely. The Ball will go on of course, and I may even stop by to take a look around, being the tourist that I am, but as of right now, it looks like the Streetwise space at the People's Art Festival will be the place to see my work in Detroit that weekend.

On edit encore: Looks like Boyd's "Fishnet Nation" event scheduled for October 6 has been cancelled... I'm sure he'll find a way to make another event happen before long.

Coming to a studio near you...

2007-09-05T14:57:00.000-04:00

A few more of Raelyn, who's becoming quite a popular model these days, and seems to have made a lot of good contacts at FetishCon a few weeks ago. She's planning an around-the-country tour in October, so if you're a photographer interested in working with her, check out her blog or her thread on MM.

The Final Frontier

2007-09-01T21:58:00.000-04:00

"Space...the final frontier."

Earlier today I signed the rental agreement on a new studio space. As evidenced above, Danaid and I were able to give it a quick "audition" the other night and got some nice shots, and I felt at home almost immediately. I actually didn't get a lot of sleep that night because my mind was racing considering the possibilities.

I'm getting it "as is" so will give it a coat of paint (probably a few areas of different colors) for starters, but it does come with a working air conditioning unit AND a sink. I'm thinking the sink will allow things to get a bit messier on shoots, so watch out models. Plus, I'm just a few doors down from Dave Levingston's studio, and we've been talking about a cooperative agreement that could work out very well, too.

My plan is to keep this space as empty as possible to have room for more elaborate set-ups, although anyone who's been to my house knows that may not be entirely realistic. But it should give me more of a sense of permanance since I won't have to worry about vacating after each shoot, so some interesting set-ups and such should result, too. Probably won't be booking a lot right off the bat, since it'll take time to get the place ready to go, and I've been looking at shooting less in September and October to catch up on other matters, but it's nice to have a place to call "home" that's not actually my house. :)

(On edit: The shot of Danaid at the top just showcased on OMP... as Iris pointed out to me "your new studio is bringing you good luck already." Ends a long dry spell there.)

FX

2007-09-01T20:55:00.000-04:00

I realize this one is a bit out of character for me, but the pose and the blowing hair just called for a little bit of special effects pizzazz... This is Angel... her blog is on the list at right. She and her husband have been readers of my blog for a while now and we'd corresponded a bit online. I actually met her at an exhibit a while back, which motivated us to get our schedules in sync so we could finally shoot together. Looking forward to going again sometime soon.

Penny

2007-09-01T14:32:00.000-04:00

Just because... :)

(On edit: The top shot of Penny was featured at the excellent new art nude round-up site Sensual Art and Photography.)

Initiate

2007-08-31T23:59:00.000-04:00

A few from my first session with Lynz... her first "serious" modeling shoot as well, although I have to say we had a lot of laughs that day. I think she did great, and she's eager to go again soon.

This started out as something of a "private" shoot of her (some with her husband), but she's since decided that it's OK for me to post them. She's even recruited a friend or two to work with me, too. We met through an online discussion forum, actually, so if any of you other forum folks stumble onto this, please be cool. :)

"Timeless, like a fine watch..."

2007-08-31T13:23:00.000-04:00

These shots of Mandy were part of an entry that never actually got posted for some reason. The original content is now highly irrelevant, but Mandy is always timeless, so here she is.

Really need to get together with her again... she keeps doing such remarkable work.

And evidently, someone from Japan is downloading the ENTIRE blog, presumably the full-size photos. Makes me wonder about removing the full-size images from entries over a month old... any thoughts?

Muses and Musings

2007-08-30T01:23:00.000-04:00

On edit: Since this image has been recently featured here, I figured I'd save these visitors some time and move it back to the top of the stack for a while.

The trio of beauties at the top are Katherine Rose, Crystallynn, and Ayden... brought together briefly through fate and a gracious dispensation from Glenn. (We were kidding that the title could be "118 DDDD.") Below, we have Crystallynn and Ayden sharing a moment... I've been doing more work with pairs of models recently, so look for more.

Vassanta

2007-08-29T11:49:00.000-04:00

A couple more Vassanta shots, just to keep things stirred up. We keep having "near misses" on shooting again, but I should make that happen sooner rather than later, I think. These are from a highly productive session earlier this year. Enjoy.

Oh, and please leave a comment or two. And please buy a copy of the book. Great for back-to-school...

Dreaming is free...

2007-08-29T01:07:00.000-04:00

At the last group shoot, I was pretty fascinated by this window and the curtain blowing in the breeze. Not something I expected to find, and in the interest of travelling very light, I'd managed to leave the tripod 150 miles away at home. Would have really been a big help on the long exposures. So, I just tried using a chair as a camera support and shot a bunch of frames hoping for a seredipitious gust of wind to coincide with a sharp exposure and the correct metering -- the moving curtain changed the light on the lovely Aurora by a couple of stops, depending on how high the wind lifted it. Just briefly reviewing them, this one jumped out as what I was going for -- the right combination of her position, the lighting, the amount of blur in the curtain, the shape and position of the curtain, and still being fairly sharp. You'll probably see more of this breezy window soon, but thought I'd put this little sneak preview out sooner rather than later.

"...builds strong bodies 12 ways."

2007-08-27T20:36:00.000-04:00

A couple of different moods with the wonderful Rose from the July group shoot... always a pleasure to shoot with her. You'll see more from this session along the way.

Was a good weekend... got in a studio session Friday afternoon, Saturday at the group shoot (Happy Birthday Andi), then another studio set Sunday afternoon. Looks like shoots tomorrow and Thursday, and that'll be it for a while as I regroup.

Was reminded today of a song from a few years ago that for some reason struck a chord with me today, no pun intended. The song is "Adios Lounge" by Thelonious Monster, featuring vocals by Tom Waits who sings the chorus:

Don't let nobody go there for you
Don't be satisfied with a second-hand life
Don't let nobody stifle or bore you
Handle your troubles or take on your strife
Don't let nobody live your life for you
Not your friends, not your kids, no not even your wife
If you want to know where the rainbow ends
It's you who've got to go there and find it my friend

Maybe it's profound, maybe it's obvious, but there it is. Part of a really great album that you can get for under a buck.

No reason

2007-08-26T11:03:00.000-04:00

Here's a couple of the always splendid Danaid. Sadly, she wasn't able to join the little farm outing last weekend, but here's an outdoor shot we did previously. Should try to get her out again while there's still some green about... And another shot I particularly like, presented for no reason in particular. None at all. Nope. :)

Weekend has been quite busy, but so far quite enjoyable...going to get a little editing done this afternoon, then have a shoot a bit later with a very special out-of-town dignitary. :) More news as it develops.

All I ever wanted

2007-08-24T10:12:00.000-04:00

Welcome fans of Katie West...

Katie posted this top photo on her blog as part of her "gone fishing" message. She's going on a little vacation, that thing people in other countries seem to be able to do on a regular basis. But I was honored that she posted another image from our shoot, and am surprised at the attention it's immediately getting in her Flickr stream where she has quite the devoted following, deservedly so. Katie will also be going to a place where there's water actually clean enough to set foot in, another thing I'm a bit envious of. I'm sure she'll return with an array of beautiful photos to share. Have a great trip Katie!

Here's another of Katie from that same shoot as part of MY "gone fishing" message. Well, just a little road trip up to Toledo for another group shoot -- I swore I wouldn't subject myself to the August heat up there, but as Andi says, "I can resist anything except temptation." The forecast calls for a slight break in the stupifying heat wave on Saturday, and this time I'm traveling light: one digital camera, a couple serious lenses, a couple of "toy" lenses, and even taking my film camera just to see if I still know how to use it. Probably will even dress for the weather, even if it's not the most flattering look for me.

You have one last chance to see the "Summerotica" show this Saturday from 10am to 3pm at the S3V3RANC3 Gallery in Detroit. Was thinking I might need to pick up my pieces this weekend after the show closes, but I will probably just leave everything up there, as there are a couple Detroit events on September 15 where the work may get displayed, and a couple of friends have generously offered to wrangle things to get the pieces to the right places when needed. More on that once details are firmed up.

The drive to Toledo should be interesting, as I-75 goes right through Findlay, Ohio, where the recent flooding has been much in the news. Not sure if there will be anything to see from the highway or not. (On edit, this photo is from earlier this week showing 75 underwater. It was closed for a couple days, but has since reopened just for me.) All the recent midwest floods are making me consider adding flood insurance to my policy, even though I'm told I'm not in an "at risk" area for flooding. Guess that means coverage shouldn't be very expensive then, eh?

Statuesque

2007-08-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

Things are a bit upside down at the moment, and this week and next are going to be jam-packed. I think I'll have some breathing room once September rolls around.

Have a couple of shoots that are up in the air which is kind of frustrating and adding to the stress... hoping to get those pinned down today.

A little preview from a shoot that awaits proper editing...

On edit, replaced initially uploaded image. It had been edited on #&%$! home machine and was a bit darker than I'd intended.

What can I tell you?

2007-08-20T19:01:00.000-04:00

Updates may be sporadic for a while... may post some pictures, though.

This here is Crystallynn in her most beautiful outfit... :)

Pose Prose

2007-08-17T14:15:00.000-04:00

Just finished editing my most recent shoot with Aurora (aka Dreamscapes) from last month, just in time for my next shoot with her this weekend. It was another quick session, but I liked a lot of what we got, and "finished" a pretty high percentage of them, even variations on a pose. I do tend to overshoot a pose if I like it, as I just make small adjustments to the pose or my position or camera settings to get it just so. Logically, the last one would be the best one, right? But that's not always the case. Often, it's the first one, which gives me pause -- what if each shot was a different pose? The first shot of a pose has the benefit of spontenaity and can be the most natural looking pose. Sometimes though, it is necessary to fine tune it because the model's position in the light could be better or any number of reasons. If I coach the model through fine tuning the pose, I'll take some frames of the tuned pose, then tell the model "OK, remember this pose, where your hand and hips are, and how you're standing and everything." Then, I'll tell them to just stand up relaxed, hands at their side, and take a deep breath, THEN go back to the pose as they remember it. Sometimes they'll hit it just perfectly with an added natural element that really makes it feel right.

In addition to this weekend, it looks like I'll also get some time with her next weekend as well.

Some (more) erotica

2007-08-15T23:59:00.000-04:00

Don't forget, you folks in the Detroit/Toledo area, that there will be another evening reception for the "Summerotica" show at the S3V3RANC3 Gallery in Detroit's Eastern Market this Saturday from 8pm to midnight. I can't make it, but I'm sure several of the photographers (and perhaps a few of the models) will be in attendance. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted for wine and refreshments. I believe there are about 95 pieces in the show, and hundreds more in the "museum store" area. The exhibit will also be open from 10am-3pm on the 18th and 25th, or by appointment, but the party is this Saturday. Tell a buddy and bring a friend...

And here we have the enticing Crystallynn modeling a favorite summer style.

Turning Japanese

2007-08-15T12:01:00.000-04:00

I know this is nothing new, but I think it's kind of cool to see this blog translated into other languages. These sometimes show up in the page stats, so this recent time I did a screen capture of Aurora being translated into Japanese (who apparently have no character yet for 'blog'). Nice to see the images have international appeal.

In the Gallery Garden

2007-08-13T23:50:00.001-04:00

By Gary M, originally uploaded by avolare.

Another fun one from the recent shoot with the famed Katie West. Check out the comments on her Flickr page. :)

Easy way out...

2007-08-13T23:01:00.000-04:00

When I know I'm overdue for a blog post, but don't have much on my mind, it only seems logical to take the easy way out and post a bunch of nude photos of a beautiful young woman. I don't think anyone's going to miss hearing me gloat about Karl Rove's resignation or drone on and on about this or that, when you can enjoy Ayden in her birthday suit. She's thinking about heading down to the studio sometime before long, so we'll have lots more to share then.

Black & White

2007-08-12T21:31:00.000-04:00

The other day I posted some shots of Lee St. Tragedy (at top) from the "House of Nightmares" shoot onto MySpace and used one of his shots as my "avatar" there, which prompted a female friend of mine to ask (a) "Hey, you photographed a GUY?" and (b) "is he your first black model?" The answers were "yes" (I've shot a number of guys, solo or with a female model) and "no" (I have worked with a few black models). Her question about black models led me to look through my files and round up these shots. From the top we have Lee, Sabrina, Shana, LaPrincess, Destiny, Simeon, and "Z" (who would probably like me to point out that hers is an IMPLIED topless shot). There is one more, but maybe I shouldn't post her here. (I might do a "male model" round-up entry sometime, if anyone's interested.)

As for black female models, I have found very few around here who do art nude work, but if I can find more who look as good as Sabrina or Shana, you'll see them here...

Postscript: I started this entry several days ago, and have been "pushing it around on my plate" before posting it a few minutes ago. I was catching up on reading some other blogs just now when, as seems to happen once in a while, there's a recent post on the same topic over on Don Nelson's Hotel Room Nudes. He said something that I was trying to figure out how to say, but couldn't so didn't: "Anyway, it feels funny categorizing women as Black or Not Black, but it shouldn't. The skin's color and texture makes a huge difference in how one photographs it and the photographic treatment will be different. The human factor is not affected in any way." He also said "I don't photograph nearly enough Black women and am looking forward to this" so it seems we agree on that as well. Synchronicity strikes again.

By popular demand...

2007-08-10T13:34:00.000-04:00

I probably spend way too much time looking over my site traffic, but one thing I've noticed is that two names consistently turn up as search terms: Sarah Ellis and JJ Plush -- usually along with the word "nude" but that's understandable.

So in a shameless attempt to pander to the masses, I present Sarah Ellis (top, ready to pounce) and JJ Plush, who can even make tulle look retro. Both are absolute dreams to work with, and I should make more opportunities to do so soon.

Art works, too...

2007-08-09T19:45:00.000-04:00

Just heard back from Craig P, the artist who previously did an excellent painting based on my photo of Kiki -- the one seen on the cover of the "Dark Light" book. Craig sent me another recent painting, based on a photo I did of the always artistic Danaid, to which Craig has added a colorful twist. I'd say he did an excellent job capturing the gesture of the pose, and the details of the hair and hand are quite good, too. Plus he says he's working on yet another painting base on a shot of mine... I'm flattered that Craig likes my images enough to use for his paintings, and I REALLY appreciate the fact that he asked me ahead of time if it was OK with me. Nice Job, Craig. (And thanks for the bigger photo of the painting.)

Bewitched by Sabrina

2007-08-09T10:51:00.000-04:00

Oops... mentioned these on the MySpace blog, but got sidetracked before I could post 'em, so here's a double helping of Sabrina, also from the "House of Nightmares" group shoot. She and I were two of the "non-goth" misfits in the mix that day. Sabrina and I have been talking about working together forever, but just never seemed to make it happen before, so it was good to finally meet her and see what she can do. She was a lot of fun to work with, and really knows how to pose... I was quite impressed. Hope you are, too.

Someone asked if the term "House of Nightmares" is my characterization of a bad day's shooting. No, that was the official name of the event, held in a building with an actual operating "haunted house" set-up sprawling throughout the first floor. I kind of steered clear of those props, partly because they seemed like they could be easily damaged, and just not too much of it caught my eye, especially with very limited lighting options. But we also had the run of the rest of the building, which included two basements and three upstairs floors, all largely empty. It offered a lot of visual opportunities, but with those usually come the challenges. An interesting day's shooting, to be sure.