Blogrolling...the photographers

Just wanted to take a few moments to direct your attention to some new links on this page (over to the right there) and introduce a few of the players briefly. Obviously, click the links to learn more about 'em in their own words. Here's a quick rundown, old and new...the sequence is a top secret semi-random formula.

Hotel Room Nudes is Don Nelson's flagship blog. I've learned a lot from Don, not only in photographic terms, but also in terms of attitude and clarity of vision. I thank him yet again for his grumbling support. We've worked with a couple of the same models already...maybe our paths will cross before long.

Exposed for the Shadows is where Dave Levingston shares his outstanding photos, technical insights, and philosophical musings. Truly a generous soul, I have to say I envy his new "retired" status that will give him all kinds of time to wander around the country and make more great art with wonderful models. (Don't tell anyone, but he does some beautiful commercial work, too.)

BT Charles (aka Bruce) does a wide variety of excellent conceptual photography, from the nuanced to the outrageous. He (and his beautiful wife) have provided me with a great deal of encouragement and he's graciously shared a lot of insights with me. If you meet him, buy him a nice cold Coke.

She Saw Red is one avenue of expression for my girlfriend, Andi, who excels at so many different things, it's hard to keep track. (That's her, giving her "sexy librarian" stare.) With a camera, she can beautifully transform her subjects, while making it seem effortless. Her models idolize her from time to time, but I wish more of them truly appreciated how good she is. Go read her blog, check out her photography, buy some jewelry, and tell her to do more painting. She's been along for much of my photographic ride... thanks for the adventure, sweetie.

James M. Graham for lack of a better word, is a rockstar. Maybe it stems from his former career as a music writer, or from living and working in NYC, but it's there. Got to meet him briefly at The Dirty Show last month, and was impressed at how genuine and down-to-earth he is. (More so than most other folks I've met from NYC who aren't rockstar photographers.) Advice to other photographers out there... do NOT mention James' name to a model while you're working with her... unless you want to hear her rave about him for the rest of the day. ;)

Fluffytek is the team of Richard and Lin, who produce some wonderful art nudes over in the UK. They've been extremely complimentary of my work, and they seem to complement one another perfectly. If I ever visit my sister, I'll be sure to schedule a stop in London to meet them in person and see if Lin's up for my first international photo shoot.

Newcastle Art Nudes is where you'll find Mark, and it's a relatively new addition to my blogroll, and he's a relatively new blogger. You'll also find Mark in Australia, doing some excellent figure work and exploring a wide variety of stylistic techniques. Australia is someplace I've always wanted to visit, and maybe now I'll have a couch to crash upon if I can scrape together the airfare. No worries Mark, that could take a while.

Magic Flute Art Nudes is another new addition here, although Stephen Haynes has been doing outstanding nude work for quite a while. I recently ordered a print from Stephen, and we've had some good conversations as well... maybe he'll buy one of my prints before long.

Chip Willis is just up the road in Columbus, but I had to go to Detroit to actually meet him at last month's Dirty Show. Chip keeps doing outstanding work and exploring new areas, plus he has a knack for getting published around the world. He's one of the photographers putting Ohio on the map internationally, and for that I thank him. (Blogrolling points off for not linking back to me...or seemingly anyone else.)

Far Rider Photography is a self-described "two-wheeled photo tramp" and his blog reflects a wide variety of photographic interests. David is from a little town in Ohio, and seems to have an advantage there of lots of cool rural locations... I should head down to Circleville this spring and ask him to show me around.

Last but certainly not least, Visions of Excess is Boyd Hambleton's blog. One of the more personal and introspective blogs on the list, Boyd loses blogrolling points for the infrequency of his updates, but he makes up for them in length and intensity. Boyd's group shoots have been tremendously valuable to me, especially when I was first getting started on this little adventure, and Boyd personally has offered a great deal of encouragement and inspiration. He lives something of the "starving artist" lifestyle, which takes a lot of guts, but it gives him a lot of freedom to work and he seems to have an endless supply of models who will do almost anything for him. There are a lot of days where I think that looks like a pretty good option. Thanks for everything Boyd!

Next time: Blogrolling...the models! That's Rose up at the top, giving y'all some BAMF attitude. Word.