Pure Crystallynn

Here's the curvaceous Crystallynn, who was featured here a few entries back. She and I had shot a couple times before at the Collingwood group shoots. The first session was pretty disappointing, but probably because it was the first shoot of the day for each of us, and we only had a short session, so didn't really get the chance to warm up and find a groove. The second session was an improvement with some nice images, but I wasn't really satisfied with how I handled the shoot... again, another early one. No reflection on her... she's always open to ideas, but somehow I was blocked. But she had faith that the third time would be a charm, so we booked another session at Collingwood. Not only did we set it for later in the day, we decided that instead of the boots and corsets and lingerie and such that she had for our first sessions and trying to find good spots with some decent light, that we'd simplify and do some "little black dress" shots as well as straightforward nudes with studio lights. "Pure Crystallynn" if you will.

I have to say I think that simplifying made a difference... I'm really pleased with many of the shots we got, and so is she. This was her first full nude shoot in a long time, and I think only her second one ever. I was impressed with her poise and confidence -- even when people wandered onto the set a couple times during the shoot. I believe her confidence shows through in the shots, too. We're talking about doing another shoot soon, possibly at my studio. I'm planning to keep it pure next time, too.

Borat, is that you?

One of the cool things about website statistic counters is they not only tell how many people view your page, but also where in the world your visitors are coming from. They even plot them out on a handy map, and sometimes it's surprising. Like this morning, I was checking, and one visit came from Almaty, the capital of Kazakhstan, which Americans are hearing a lot about due to the popular movie Borat. Another came from Riyahd, Saudi Arabia, and another from Midrand, South Africa. And a few dozen scattered around Europe and Scandanavia...all within the past day or so.

So, if you are a visitor from outside the US, why not just take a minute and leave a comment? I'd love to hear from you.

By the way, I know the Borat movie presents a distorted view of Kazakhstan and its culture, so no need to e-mail me about that. Actually, I saw an interesting presentation a couple weeks ago about "the 'Stans" and how central Asia seems to be sitting on the world's biggest oil reserves, and how Kazakhstan stands to become a very wealthy nation if outside interests and internal corruption don't manage to somehow steal all the money.

Here's Amber from a while back looking heavenly.

Another show...

Kidtee Hello had another of her monthly art shows at the Oregon Express in Dayton last night, and I was invited back. Although the crowd this month (both artists and attendees) was smaller than last month, I met a few interesting people, and a couple friends stopped by to check things out. Sold three more prints to the collector I mentioned a while back, and got to talk with a few of the photographers there. The next one is scheduled for December 18, so might be a good crowd of last-minute gift shoppers, or might be a lousy crowd due to people's other holiday obligations. I should be able to attend and have at least a few new prints available. Let me know if you think you can make it out!

Here's Sarah in the freight elevator across from my studio... this shot goes back to my first shoot with her months ago, but I finally got around to making prints for the show last night. This was one of the ones that sold.

Thanks Iris

Thanks to Iris for a nice entry in her newly revamped blog. She's doing something of a catalog of the photographers she's worked with, and I'm among some pretty lofty company there. Looking forward to another shoot with her, possibly soon. Here's a couple nice ones I haven't posted yet from our first shoot.

Did something of a "lite" shoot yesterday with Heather, and it went well. Very casual, and just available light shots, but there should be some nice ones once I get to work through them. Felt good to be shooting again... still planning to keep it slow in December. (Hard to believe it's almost December!)

Reconstruction

Just a word to say that the new issue of the online magazine Reconstruction is available including a small contribution from me. The theme is blogging, and among the articles, they asked a number of people to contribute entries on why they blog. So, if you're interested in what makes various bloggers tick, stop by and check it out. My thanks to the editors for inviting me to participate, and welcome to any Reconstruction readers visiting here for the first time.

The image here is the marvelous AngelD, bending over backwards for the shot.

Thank You!

Nice Thanksgiving suprise... a couple more OMP showcases, one of Sativa (above) on my portfolio, and one of Mandy on her portfolio up high on a pedastal of sorts. These are two great models who are also a joy to work with... I've written about them both before here. So, thank you Sativa and Mandy for being amazing!

Mixed Feelings

Saw today that one of the models I've worked with several times, Amanda, has been featured as the "Model of the Week" on the New Nude Magazine website. Way to go Amanda! And while I congratulate her on the recognition, I have to say I'm disappointed that none of my images were part of the portfolio that went with the article. Guess that means I still have a ways to go...

New Nude has featured three other models I've worked with, Abigail, Mandy and Chrystyne (top to bottom) but I don't think my timing was right to be included in any of their features. At least this would seem to confirm that I have good taste in choosing models to work with.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Just an opportunity to say that I am very thankful for the opportunities and experiences of the past year or so, the chance to work with so many varied and wonderful subjects, and to meet so many interesting new people. I'm thankful that a certain number of you stop by and visit this blog on a regular basis... although would it kill you to leave a comment now and then? I'm thankful that my work has been included in a couple art shows and is starting to get some attention. I'm thankful to my family, friends, and especially Andi for all the concern and support during my recent surgical adventure. I'm thankful to live where I live, have what I have, and sometimes I even manage to be thankful for being who I am. I'll keep working on that one.

I hope you all have a weekend to be thankful for, and take some time to count your blessings. And here's a little Thanksgiving treat, courtesy of Susie Bright's Journal. And here's another little treat... Sativa, photographed in the studio on a night when it was hot enough to roast a turkey. (On edit... replaced the shot with another of Sativa, since I needed to repeat it in a later entry.)

Buy Nothing Day

There's a small, but interesting movement called "Buy Nothing Day" which is a backlash against the "Black Friday" phenomenon of recent years -- the shopping frenzy on the day after Thanksgiving. Stores open hours early and stay open late in hopes of the day being so lucrative as to put their business into the black ink of profitability for the year. (Hence the name "Black Friday.") The movement is trying to reverse the trend of people self-identifying as "consumers" and instead return to being individuals with thoughts and interests beyond acquiring more material goods. There's a lot of this message in the book/movie Fight Club ("You are not your fucking khakis.") and there's even a magazine devoted to the concept, Adbusters, that's worth checking out. They're even starting to promote a "Buy Nothing Christmas" along the same lines, another idea I'd readily endorse.

The day after Thanksgiving is typically a "Buy Nothing Day" for me anyway. I'm somewhat averse to crowds and the idea of spending a day dealing with hordes of people in a mall is not appealing in the least, even with the prospect of "saving" money while buying more stuff my friends, family, and I really don't need. I'm a dyed-in-the-wool packrat and collector, and have way more stuff than I need jammed into my living space. (Ask Andi about the wall of boxes in my bedroom.) So if anyone needs to embrace the idea of having less and living more, it's me.

And while I don't believe that ALL advertising is bad (since that's largely how I make my living), I do dislike the manipulative practices aimed at kids, teens, and even young adults that sell products as a way to find your identity or create artificial needs. The current PlayStation3 stupidity is a great example of the consumer culture gone berserk... Sony does massive advertising for an overpriced game system, then chokes the actual supply to ensure that it sells out and becomes highly sought to the point of people abusing, robbing and even shooting one another to get their hands on one, providing even more free publicity and adding to the cachét of the product, guaranteeing huge sales when it becomes widely available. Brings new meaning to the term "market manipulation."

Consider joining me for "Buy Nothing Day" and stay away from the stores. Spend time with your family. Gather up old stuff from your closet to donate to charity. Enjoy the end of fall weather. Visit a museum. Be something other than "a consumer."

End of rant. As your reward for reading all this, here's a shot of AngelD expressing her rage against the machine, or something like that.

Show off

Nice news tonight, a couple more OMP showcases. The top one is from my shoot with Iris which was recognized on my portfolio. The lower one is of Nia, which was recognized on her portfolio.

What can I say? I still enjoy getting these things. But why is it when something cool like this happens, something else aggravating presents itself to take the edge off? Nothing major, just irritating. Don't bother asking. Guess it's just the yin and yang of the universe...

Iris

A couple from my shoot with Iris Dassault, who has selectively worked with a lot of the top photographers in the midwest. I met her at The Dirty Show back in September, but we'd been discussing working together since April. Took a while, but I'm very pleased with what we produced, as is she. Our shoot actually fell the day after one gall bladder attack, and the day before another, so I wasn't quite at the top of my game, but she helped to energize me during the shoot. Also, she's been very supportive and concerned during my recovery, checking up on me from time to time. I appreciate it, Iris, and look forward to working together again very soon. :)

Touching...

Jackie and her friend Mara share a moment during what was, essentially, the first photo shoot either of them had done. This one just caught my eye, so I thought I'd share it here. That was a while ago... I need to get these two together again soon.
POSTSCRIPT: When I posted this blog entry, I also added this image to my OMP portfolio, and within a few hours, was contacted that it had been removed for "inappropriate content" -- wonder what part is the problem... the tongue? The hand on the nipple? The big smiles? Oh well... enjoy.

Messin' with IR

Just a couple shots of Nia back in warmer days, the top one is an infrared image taken with a little Olympus 2020 and an infrared filter, the one below that is standard "visible light" converted to B&W. IR is making a comeback now that some digital advances have made it more practical than the old ways of shooting expensive infrared film and getting special processing and hoping for the best. Comparing these two shots, the primary difference is visible in the sky and trees, where green leaves photograph as white. In portraits, IR can create some eerie effects with the subject's eyes and coloring. Hope to play with it more soon.

The shot below is another IR... I love the eroticism of her position in the "crotch" of the felled tree.

More Oakley (reinstated)

Well, here we have Oakley again from the same shoot as my earlier entry. I think she has a certain grace and innocence that comes through in these shots, and I still like them quite a bit. What do you guys think?

(ON EDIT 11/17: these had also been pulled off the blog for a while, but here they are again. Apologize if you consider it a "rerun", but I wanted everyone to have a chance to see them without digging back in the archives. Look for more Oakley soon.)

Oakley (reinstated)

Some shots from a recent shoot with Oakley. Very charming and lovely young woman, she had a real enthusiasm and energy that in turn energized me. I'll probably post a few more soon, but here's a nice introductory sampling from the evening.

(On edit 11/17... these had been pulled down for a while, but since I'm reinstating them, I thought I'd move them to the top of the stack.)

Withdrawal symptoms...

Less than two weeks since my last shoot, and already I'm getting a little antsy at the prospect of another 4-6 weeks of downtime from shooting. It's been made a little tougher by some exceptional models traveling to the area that I'll miss out on, and a couple of models I've worked with before wanting to expand their portfolios. Maybe I'll have to figure out a way around the lifting/moving restriction... be a good thing to ask the surgeon today.

Three from a shoot over the summer with KC, who's coming along as an outstanding fashion photographer in her own right.

Picture yourself in a boat on a river...

Never having indulged in recreational drugs, I was a little curious about the experience of heavy-duty painkillers that might be prescribed after surgery. I'd hear people talk like "ooh, vicodin, you'll be feeling REAL GOOD" and so on. Have to say I've been unimpressed... the morphine administered in the hospital didn't seem to do anything but make me sleepy with some mildly weird dreams and a "divergent reality" effect. I'd be looking at someone speaking or doing something, my eyes would close but I'd continue to see the person, who might appear to walk to the other side of the room, then I'd open my eyes and the person hadn't moved at all. But I didn't really use the morphine button more than one or two times in the hospital, and the generic painkiller I was prescribed seems to have little or no effect (even on pain). But again, I'm not taking two every six hours as allowed, but maybe one or two a day, since the pain has been mild. So, either I'm doing it wrong, or I'm not giving into the placebo effect, or I wouldn't recognize euphoria if it sat in my lap.

This shot is of the model called "Kaleidescope Eyes" which seemed appropriate for this entry...

Recovery

First: Surgery went well, recovery ensues, check MySpace for details.

Just wanted to post some from my session with Rose from a few weeks back. Another quick session, but productive and I'm looking forward to working with her again very soon. :)

Fight the Power!

Wow, an even bigger swing in the election results since I went to bed last night. Looks like the people have spoken!

Oops! I said I wasn't going to get political. :) This blog will return to its regular programming once I'm back... time to go!

This is Amber, raising her voice, and her fist.

Zero Hour

Down to about 12 hours until the surgery, so I just wanted to put up one more post to ask everyone to stand by for a couple days until I'm back on my seat to do more updates.

On the bright side, let's just say I'm pretty pleased with Tuesday's results... I'm sure my previous post made all the difference.

Here's Melissa looking awesome from a group shoot a while back... somehow seemed appropriate.

Get out and vote!

If I may digress into the political, I want to encourage all of you to take the time to vote on Tuesday. In addition, take some time to think about whom and what you're voting for, and not just vote the way you always do.

Do you feel safer? Do you feel healthier? Do you feel wealthier? Do you feel better about the future? Are your friends and family really doing OK? Look beyond the hype and mudslinging and fear and think if it's time for change, or if more of the same is really the way to go.

Here's Barbie wrapping herself in the flag.

P.S. Check out a new take on "Freedom"