Katie West

Katie West by Gary Mitchell, originally uploaded by avolare.

Katie did a nice entry on her blog and her Flickr page featuring one of the shots we did this past Sunday... will elaborate more soon, but wanted to try the "blog this" feature of Flickr. Here goes...

Last call...

End of the month already, and just a "last call" on a couple things. First, for any readers who are Silver or higher members of OneModelPlace.com, please stop by my OMP page and give me a nice vote in the "art nude photography" contest by tomorrow night. I'm guessing the winner will be someone who frequents the OMP forums and is a lot more aggressive about stumping for votes. Who knows? The winner might even actually be the best art nude photographer on OMP.

Second, as promised/threatened, I'm going to be ending the introductory pricing on my book, Dark Light, so if you've been thinking about buying it, now's the time. If you would like me to sign your copy, please drop me a message at garymphoto(at)gmail(dot)com and we'll make arrangements.

This shot is the amazing Carlotta to tide you over until I can do a more elaborate entry regarding this past weekend's adventures in the skin trade...

Saturday Night's All Right...

One last (?) word to remind you folks in the Detroit-ish area that the "Summerotica" opening reception will start at 9pm this Saturday at the Severance Gallery (aka S3V3RANC3). It'll feature work by me plus 19 other members of the Midwest Society of Erotic Photography. Should be a great show, free admission, free wine, what more do you need to liven up your Saturday night? See you there!

And on an unrelated note, I've discovered a great internet radio station, Radio Hidebound, whose motto is "151 proof college radio aged 20 years" so it probably will hold special appeal to those of us who were in college in the mid-80s... tends toward the slightly obscure bands, or album tracks from more popular artists. Not limited to the 80s stuff, which keeps it interesting. You can even make requests online. Check them out!

Or if that's not your musical temperment, find what you like at tun3r.com where you can search the playlists of hundreds of internet radio stations and see who's playing the obscure Estonian folk music you've been seeking.

The shot is Alexis... is it in the show? One way to find out...

My honor...

One person I always feel honored to work with is Aurora, also known as Dreamscapes. Beyond being gorgeous with just the right mix of exotic and goth-next-door, she just has a certain strength of presence and a calm self-assurance that I admire, and I do my best to capture it in the images we do together.

We don't always agree, but I think that little bit of friction adds something to the shoots. I've lost track of how many times we've shot together, but I'd guess it's about a dozen. Here are two from our most recent shoot, and I'll enjoy the privilege of working with her again on Saturday...the first of what I hope to be at least a dozen more times. D, if I haven't said it before, thanks for being such a sweet friend as well as an outstanding model.

Grace note

Worked briefly with Samantha Grace at that B&B shoot a few weeks back, but haven't posted anything yet. Funny how some models just have a look that belongs to a different period, and I don't know if it's a product of her hair and make-up and attitude, but Samantha just seems to have a vintage look that would fit perfectly into the 40s or 50s -- the golden era of pin-up. Guess that's why she calls her site Modern Retro Pin-Up. Looks like I'll get to do an impromptu shoot with her this evening, so hopefully I'll have more of her to share with you before long.

More AngelD

Chatted with AngelD on the IM briefly, and she's doing great up in New England. Got a promotion at her job and has been doing some modeling work. So, seemed like an excuse to post a few shots of her.

Oh yeah, was going to raise the price on THE BOOK today, but in honor of THE SHOW, I thought I'd wait until next week. SO, you can still buy the book at the bargain price of $24.95 plus postage for a few more days. If you are someone who'd like a signed copy, I'd be happy to do it, but the process is a little different. Drop me an e-mail at garymphoto(at)gmail(dot)com

Deliverance...

"Dave, deliver me some evil..."

Just dropped off my "product" for the Summerotica show to Dave Levingston, who's kindly taking my stuff up (along with his) to drop off at the gallery this weekend while he's up there engaging in other mischief.

Not sure why I put so much stress on myself for these shows, between choosing pictures, getting prints and framing supplies, and actually assembling everything. Maybe everyone goes through their own version of that process. I just know I've woken up a couple times this week with a headache, no doubt from grinding the hell out of my teeth all night long. There are other sources for stress, too, but I think this has been the overriding one this week. Hoping I'll be able to just relax and enjoy the group shoot tomorrow and have some fun with it. Realizing that with 3 passengers and their supplies, I won't be able to take my usual complement of gear, so will probably put together a more "lean and mean" arsenal to take with.

Here are a couple more of Diann from what will likely turn out to be my last shoot with her, at least for a long while.

Ready or not...

Sorry for the lack of updates... been busy getting pieces ready for the big Summerotica show on the 28th. Got a break on the price of some of the framing supplies, but it's still an investment to get pieces ready for these shows. Hoping it pays off one way or another...

Have a group event in Columbus this Saturday which will be interesting... seven models I've never shot or even met before, in a big old empty-ish building. Hoping temperatures remain in the reasonable range... probably just use available darkness or maybe try a couple new tools/toys to brighten things up a bit.

Been a while since I posted any shots of Rose here. Looking forward to shooting with her again next weekend at the steaming-hot Collingwood...

"Play This Movie Loud"

Been shooting a lot in July... tried to keep June light and everything got pushed into July it seems. I've enjoyed the shoots, but it falls under the category of "finding oneself in a hole, yet continuing to dig" to a certain extent. For instance, here's a shot of Carlotta from last year's shoot, but have yet to find time to edit the shoot we did a few weeks ago... I'm going to try to be the immovable object on this for a while, but I keep encountering all these irresistible forces. ;)

Finally starting to get the hang of Lightroom, which should speed things along. I think I have the basics down, but might actually have to RTFM to answer a few esoteric questions and learn a few more tricks. Anyone know any good free resources for Lightroom tips and info?

There has been some weirdness in the air, too, of late. Hard to put my finger on it, but it feels like that weird state of mind that Tim Robbins' character experiences at the beginning of Jacob's Ladder. (I should watch that one again soon, but when will I find the time?) Strange things keep happening on personal levels, day job stuff, photographic levels, and then there's the general collapse of the U.S. democracy happening in slow motion around us, seemingly unstoppable. Disconcerting to say the least.

Thought I could have one of my favorite movies playing while I did some editing today... The Unheard Music is a documentary on the band X that's largely music performances, and I've watched it at least a dozen times, so I figured I could just sort of listen while editing, but the damn thing is so well made and creative that it demands to be watched. So after about 20 minutes, I realized I'd not really done any editing with the movie playing, I switched it off and just listened to some of their music instead. This seemed to put me in a great mood and energized me quite a bit... had been in a good mood before, but just a bit tired from a long shoot in the hotbox studio.

I'll tout the book and the show again... obliquely. Hoping my prints arrive sooner rather than later...

Some erotica

Last night I worked up a couple unofficial flyers for the MWSEP show opening coming up on July 28th, which of course means the OFFICIAL flyer (below) showed up in my e-mail this morning. C'est la vie des artes.

The blue pool photo in the top version of the flyer is a BT Charles shot I pirated from his blog that I thought looked "summery" in a dark sort of way. (BT is the driving force behind the exhibit and the MidWest Society of Erotic Photography, too.) The other flyer features my Sativa gas mask shot shown here a couple weeks ago.

Anthony from DVS did a great job on the official flyer, inspired by Patty Izzo's photo. So, if you're in the Detroit-ish area, please pimp the show to friends and open-minded family, and make plans to attend. There will be complimentary wine at the opening reception from J. Garcia, but sadly, I doubt there will be any Cherry Garcia.

The "Summerotica" show is slated to feature work from 20 members of the MWSEP, up to 5 pieces per person, so potentially 100 hanging pieces, plus there will be a "museum store" set-up for smaller and unframed pieces, too. The S3V3RANC3 Gallery is re-opening after a two-year hiatus, so they'll be pulling out all the stops. If you can't make the opening reception, the show will be hanging throughout August, open to the public on Saturdays from 10am to 3, or by appointment. See you there!

OMP Art Nude contest

For those of you who are Silver or higher members of One Model Place, I would love to have your vote in their current Art Nude Competition. Also, I'd welcome suggestions from any of you folks as to which of the photos in my Art Nude and Fine Art Nude categories on OMP are your favorites (must be black & white or monochrome/sepia) as I'll be rotating the main image on my page from time to time. So, even if you can't find time to comment on the blog, I hope you can find a minute to vote me a "10" on the OMP Contest. Just noticed that people have clicked through from my OMP to this blog over 2000 times in the past year, so I know at least a FEW of you are OMP members. Thanks!

This shot is the beautiful Aurora, aka Dreamscapes.

All smiles...

Somewhere, there's an unwritten rule against models smiling in art nudes. I guess if they look detatched and angst-ridden, that makes it art, but if they look happy and make eye contact with the viewer, it's something else. Well, I'm not sure I buy that. Granted, these aren't grand artistic statements, but I think they do a pretty good job capturing a glimpse of Ayden's beauty and her spirited nature. And today, I could use a smile from a beautiful woman, so here she is.

Enjoy.

"Dark Light" out now...

I've taken the plunge and put together my first book, Dark Light, which is available now. It's 70 pages with 68 photographs and features a variety of images, some of which have been presented here, and a number of shots I prepared for potential inclusion in the "Dark Visions" show. It includes work spanning the last 18 months or so, and is fairly representative, but by no means exhaustive. (In fact, I'm working on another smaller project that I hope to have out in the next week or so, too.)

I've shown a proof copy of the book to a number of photographers and models and artistic folks, and the reaction to the images has been very gratifying, and everyone felt the quality of the printing was quite good, too. For the next two weeks, I'll be offering it for $5.00 off, so order before July 23 and save a few bucks.

I'd like to thank all the models who participated in making the images, as well as everyone who has helped and encouraged me along the way. Your support has made all the difference.

SiCKO Update

If SiCKO is playing in your local theatre, I do encourage you to support the film by attending a screening. As with most matters in the US, the more MONEY the film makes, the more attention the media might pay to the issues it presents.

However, if it's not playing in your area, or you simply can't afford to pay $8 or $9 right now to see it, the full movie is available online for free, with the permission and encouragement of the producers, at this site. Very generous of them, I'd say.

The folks at Blue Cross are certainly taking note, as a leaked memo shows, complete with talking points meant to distance Blue Cross from "the bad guys." I like how Moore isn't afraid to show the entire memo, which contains a lot of criticism for the film, and points out some of Moore's narrative manipulation and omissions, which I believe Moore freely admits to using to make his point. The Blue Cross memo also suggests "blaming the victims" by saying the reason health care costs are so high is because Americans are getting fatter and lazier... while that may be true, lack of health care prevents people from seeking treatment for problems that keep them from exercising, or keeps them from receiving preventive care or even getting diagnosed for minor problems until they flare up and result in a trip to the ER at ten times the cost. I think the insurers know that they're selling an inferior product at an inflated price, but most of us have no choice but to buy it. I'm glad Michael Moore is calling them on it, and hopefully his voice is loud enough that it will be heard by the people who can make a difference, because left or right, everyone needs medical care from time to time, and Moore is speaking out to help all of us.

The image is Mas69ter, demonstrating her feeings for the medical system...

SiCKO

The new Michael Moore movie, SiCKO, opened here in the heartland last night, and I went to see it rather than watching fireworks in the pouring rain. Very powerfully done, and while I was largely aware of the practices of the so-called "health care system" there were a number of eye-opening points in the film. It's not even about the tragedy of the 15% of Americans who have NO health insurance... it's about the 250 million of us living under the illusion of having health coverage. It's filled with examples of people driven to poverty despite being insured, and the absurd lengths to which insurance companies will go to deny claims and coverage, about denials of lifesaving treatment due to "incorrect" coverage. It's also about how the government works with insurers and pharmaceutical companies and the AMA to promote an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear to discourage people from seeking treatment and to maximize confusion to maximize profits.

SiCKO shows how shockingly simple, effective and patient-friendly single-payer systems can be in countries such as Canada, England, France and even Cuba. The US perceptions of the evils of "socialized medicine" are shown to be way off base. People choose their doctors, and service is delievered in a timely manner, at least based on the people interviewed. I'm sure the systems everywhere have flaws and problems, but taking the profit motive out of the equation sure seems to have everyone more at ease, allowing doctors to concentrate on the best treatment, and patients to focus on getting better, instead of everyone worrying about paperwork and approvals from faceless administrators whose pay depends on the percentage of claims they can reject, not on the numbers of people who get well.

Now, there are those who claim Moore manipulates reality and details to promote some insidious "liberal agenda" but honestly, I think everyone could agree that the notion that providing citizens with quality medical care and removing the financial fear factor would be a good thing for any country. The only people who win with our current system are shareholders and CEOs, not the citizens. Check out the film if it's playing in your town, then go home and take a good look at your insurance policy. And whatever you do, don't get sick.

International readers, I invite you to weigh in with your comments about the health care system in your countries. Steve, how does "The National Elf" compare to your experiences with the US system?

P.S. After the film outside the theater were several people with information on trying to get a universal health care system in place in Ohio, and a petition to sign. Of course, the theater management were quick to force them out and threaten to call the police if the small crowd didn't disperse immediately. Ah, it's great to be an American on the 4th of July!

The photo is unlicensed nurse Rose plotting to give Boyd "the treatment."

Kristina keeps going...

A couple more of Kristina that showcased on her OMP portfolio... between hers and mine, that's a total of nine from that one 3-hour session. Guess we were on our game that night. Thanks Kristina!

Fourth Right

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."

Have a happy Independence Day folks.

"Tiny bubbles..."

Wow! Just got wind that this shot of Sparkillz won first prize in the May Nerve.com Photo Contest plus an honorable mention for the shot of Charity below. If you didn't guess, the theme was "Sexiest photo of someone with bubbles." The news gave me a bit of a rush, I'll admit. I won 3rd prize February 2006, too. Thanks to Sparkillz for indulging the weird idea, and to Charity for suggesting the lovely bubble bath shoot. :D

Eventualities

Another busy weekend concluded, a mixed bag to be sure. The first shot is the crowd on the smoking porch at the "Skin Art" show at the Pearl in Dayton Thursday night. As mentioned before, decent turnout, but not a lot of buyers among them. I guess when you have four bands, eight artists, four models, plus significant others, that adds up to 50 or more people right there so that helps enhance the illusion of a crowd. But respectable for Dayton on a humid Thursday night, and as I said, it looks like I found several new potential models whom I'm looking forward to working with. Even met a couple readers of this blog. (Hi Sandy and James!)

Less encouraging were the "Dark Visions" closing reception and the "Shadows in the Night" event in Toledo Friday night. Turns out the closing reception really wasn't promoted at all, and most of the people who might have attended had been at the opening, so the turnout was somewhere between "sparse" and "grim." Not sure what the problem was with the "Shadows" event... didn't have much advance promotion, but that hardly accounts for a nightclub being nearly deserted on a Friday night. Apart from a small circle of activity buzzing around Miss May (at left), it was largely empty. We hung around until nearly midnight, then called it a night. Perhaps the beautiful people don't get the party started until later than that... still surprised that Dayton on a Thursday night pulled more than Toledo on a Friday. (On edit: did hear back from a young woman I spoke to at the "Shadows" event who's interested in modeling at the next group event, so that's one more bright spot.)

Saturday was another Collingwood group shoot, and thanks to the heat and the lack of air conditioning, nudity seemed to be the watchword of the day. Got to work with several returning champions and a couple of new friends, and I feel I got really strong stuff with everybody, so watch for images from the day to start showing up here fairly soon. Included was a nice long session with "Capricious Token" (shown here from a shoot last month), and even got a little bonus time with her on Sunday. Got to meet Far Rider (see link at right) but he introduced himself with his real name, so I didn't make the connection until later. (Sorry David.) As always, thanks to Boyd for hosting, and all the models for making it a really enjoyable day's photography.