Get some tape...

...because AngelD's ripped!

That is all... as you were.

Something in the water?

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.

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

So long, AngelD

A favorite model of mine, AngelD, is moving far away next week, and I'm going to miss her. Her enthusiasm, her humor, her sense of adventure, her smile and spiky hair, and of course her exquisitely sculpted physique that photographs so well. Hoping to keep in touch online, and follow her adventures on her blog. I'm not sure if there are many compelling reasons for her to return to Ohio, so I'm not sure I'll get to see her or work with her again. Makes me sad, but I'll try to think about all the kickass pictures she's made with me already. :)

Best of luck on your new adventure, AngelD...

Blogrolling...the models

As a part two for the earlier blogrolling entry, here's a quick introduction to the models whose sites I have linked, scientifically sequenced using top secret criteria... obviously, I'd suggest paying their sites a visit for all the latest scoop from them. Tell them I sent ya...
The list starts with Candy (above) and her excellent blog Feminism Without Clothes. I've talked about Candy here a number of times, so I won't rehash it. Suffice to say that she's a wonderful young lady richly deserving of all the attention she's been getting lately. The shot above is from our recent shoot, from which many more treasures wait to be unearthed.

Iris Dassault has been exceptionally supportive of my work, and I really enjoy shooting with her and love the results we've managed so far. I say so far, because I hope to work with her more as the warm weather approaches. Her blog has been praised far and wide both for its images and its thoughtful insights, and rightly so. Check it out! (Or read more Iris entries from this blog.)

Rose and I go back a ways to when I was first getting serious about the model photography thing. While I don't like to play favorites, she's one of the models I always enjoy working with, even though we often seem to catch one another on an off day. Have her on my card for the next group shoot, and I'm looking forward to being on top of my game that day and doing even more memorable new work with her before she graduates and moves even further away. She pops up in this blog pretty regularly if you'd care to see more of our work and read more about her. (on edit: she's since taken down her blog)

...angel del polvo... (Angel of the Dust) is the blog of the magnificent AngelD. Just about as energetic, sweet and funny as a person gets, she can switch into a real zone of intensity in front of the camera and achieves some incredible things with that wrought-iron physique of hers. Of course, she does great with the softer side, and frequently likes to inject her weird sense humor into the proceedings, too. Plus, she appears to be fearless... snakes, rooftops, odd guys wielding nipple rings... she'll work with it and look great doing it. Word is she's moving away soon, too. I miss her already. :( See more AngelD fun elsewhere on my blog.

Beauty is All In The Mind is Crystallynn's blog reflecting her attitude that there are many ways to add beauty to the world. In addition to modeling, she also does work as a stylist/make-up artist (MUA!) among a variety of other talents. Coming off something of a tempestuous year, it looks like she's really going to be directing a lot more of her time into her modeling during the months ahead... which is good news for me! More Crystallynn entries...

Go Back to Sleep is the well-intended, but infrequently updated blog of Sleep to Dream, aka Charity. A sweetheart who always has plenty of ideas, she has a lot more range than she usually explores. Always a pleasure to shoot with her, I'm looking forward to working with her many more times. Read about some of our other adventures

Strangling is the blog of the woman with many names: Mas69ter, Edward, but most simply, Heather. Shoots with Heather always have an accidental quality about them for some reason. Moreso in the planning of the shoots, rather than the results, although I'll admit to things being a bit hit-or-miss with her. My earliest recollection of her is wandering around the Southfield shoot with Andi, topless under a fuzzy white coat with her striking red hair... as she and Andi were walking by, I had Heather stop for a couple impromptu shots with Barbie, so I guess even our first shoot was more or less accidental. She's really only shown up in the blog once or twice before, but maybe more will be forthcoming before long.

Last but not least is The Original Jada, a Chicago model I hope to work with at some point... she was kind enough to give me a link early, and she runs a very lively and entertaining blog, so be sure to check it out. Thanks Jada!

Thanks to all these fine models for their hard work and efforts, and for placing their confidence in me, especially those who worked with me when I was just getting started with the model photography rock-n-roll thing. It's been great so far, and I look forward to a big year ahead.

Of course, I have lots of nice things to say about models NOT listed here, but to my knowledge, they don't have blogs that they're maintianing. Models, if you feel I've left you off my links list, just let me know. Cheers all!

"Naked models wearing clothes..."

Since it's so damn cold out, I figured I'd post a few shots of models actually wearing clothes. Granted, not a LOT of clothes in most cases, but something. From top to bottom, we have Jackie lounging, Kristina in fun fur, Foxy Tigress, Karla Fire, Redemption in vintage, Mandy beaming, AngelD mobster-style, and the charming Mara.

Funny thing is, all these shoots were either partially or primarily nude shoots. But oddly enough, models like to model clothing from time to time, too. Some just for a change of pace, others are primarily fashion/glamour models who are open to doing nude work as well. I've had a model tell me she wanted some shots she could send her mother, and others ask for shots that are "MySpace safe" more and more frequently.

I've seen models work to move away from nudes -- I recently lost two OMP showcases because the model (whose portfolio they appeared upon) removed them. She explained to me: "those timeless & awesome images are death for getting work out here - it's a bummer...economica over erotica." And the images were far from erotic or explicit. The part that puzzles me a bit is that she still has SOME nude images on her portfolio, but they're more glamour nude than art nude, so that must make them OK. I know a model or two who actively quash the nudes in their past, even to the point of claiming they've not done them and being insulted if you ask them about it. I guess it's still a stigma with some agencies and clients, even though Kate Moss, arguably the most famous fashion model in the world, frequently appears topless and nude. Oh well, not everyone can be Kate Moss. Or wants to be.

It works the other way, too. A model will start with a firm "no nudity, no implied, no sheer" stance seeking only mainstream fashion or glamour work, but eventually moves away from that. They might post a covered topless shot on their portfolio, and start getting offers to do more covered work, then they try something sheer, and those offers start coming in, then the right photographer will ask them to do covered art nudes, and so on... Some draw the line, others blur it, some cross it and find an entire new market for their modeling services doing nude figure work. On OMP for instance, these models might have nude images in their porfolio and discuss doing nude work in their text, but will NOT have any of the "nude" checkboxes marked so they will not show up in a search for "nude models," which can be a pretty smart policy. If you find them via their work, they'll consider nudity for the right project, but if you're just searching for nude models, maybe someone else is better for that job.

Then there are the models who start out doing art nude work and prefer it, some to the point of even shunning doing fashion or glamour work. I've worked with a fair number of them, and it's always very refreshing to find someone who greets the shoot as an opportunity to participate in making something beautiful without the nagging feeling that they'd rather be doing something else. As previously addressed, some photographers will only work with this kind of model, and while I prefer it for nude work, I'm not quite ready to rule anybody out, within reason.

By the way, the title of this post refers to the time I was yelled at by the building manager of my studio for having "naked models wearing clothes" outside the confines of my studio space. I knew what he meant, but it's always struck me as a funny way to put it...

Cold

Some sort of a cold/flu bug has been kicking my ass for the past 48 hours, and shows little sign of letting up. Wanted to at least check in, although probably best that I not try to blog under the influence... until later, I leave you in AngelD's capable (although cuffed) hands.

Snow?

So much rain in the past week or so... makes me wonder how deep we'd be if this was all snow. As I recall, we've had maybe two snowfalls all winter, only one of them more than a heavy dusting. Not that I miss shoveling, but I think it's pretty clear that something is wrong. Maybe AngelD here is just heating things up too much...

Scrambling to catch up and keep up. Things actually happening with the day job, so blogging has been a bit light. That and trying to find topics that won't piss off SOMEONE. Maybe I missed the mark again with that first paragraph.

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.

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.

Angel of the dust...

Regular readers of this blog know how prone I am to feature the lovely AngelD among my entries. Her enthusiasm, energy, confidence, grace, physique, humor, charm and beauty make her a complete pleasure to work with.

Well, she's just started her own photo blog, and while there's not much there yet, I'd suggest bookmarking it (or clicking over from my link at right) because I imagine she'll have some pretty interesting things to say, as well as plenty of beautiful images to share.

Gonna Make Ya Sweat

Here's AngelD, busting several moves of many, from the dance floor at IGUN in Bowling Green last night. It's actually two clubs on the same block who have their "Goth Night" on the same night, but it's sort of one event. Not to reveal trade secrets, but I saw a lot of "my" models there: AngelD, Sara, Charity, Katie, Heather, and several potential models. It's been a huge resource for models who work with the noted Boyd Hambleton... it's part of how he can be so prolific. Boyd's been a great source of encouragement and information since I first met him last year, and his frequent group events have helped me develop my skills as well as my network, so many thanks to Boyd. Boyd's impressive body of work has also been very influentual and inspirational for me. Also shouldn't shortchange my girlfriend Andi, who is essentially the one who connected Boyd (and me) with the IGUN crowd. Besides being a kickass photographer in her own right, has also been a huge source of encouragement for me and has introduced me to many of my favorite models...not to mention her infinite patience with my photographic pursuits, and for not being jealous of my shooting with so many beautiful (and frequently nude) models.

By the way, I use the term "my models" not in the sense of possession or ownership, but simply as shorthand for "models with whom I have worked" and as a certain term of endearment. Almost without exception, I've found the models I've worked with to be delightful and charming, and I wish only the best for them. So, while there has been some controversy in the forums about the use of the term, I'll still refer to these beautiful women (and men now and again) as "my models."

AngelD encore

So many nice images from the AngelD shoot, if I do say so myself. Just couldn't resist sharing a few more. By the way, did you know that if you click an image in this blog, you can view an enlarged version?

Oh, and the first copy of the AngelD calendar has sold, so if you were the person who bought it, thanks! If you tried to go check it out, and were told something about not having permission to view it, Lulu does this dumb thing where the default "rating" for browsers is "teen" so anything with a "mature" rating gives that message. Irritating. But I've changed the rating, so you should be able to go right to it to preview and (maybe) purchase.

Bad timing...

This is another shot of the delightful and prompt AngelD -- NOT one of the models discussed in this entry.

Had found an interesting model on SuicideGirls who lives here in SW Ohio and back about the 20th of June we set up a shoot for Tuesday, July 11. Great. I was looking forward to it. We would confirm details closer to the shoot date. Fast forward a bit to last week, and it turns out that a set she'd submitted on SG is posted, so now she's an official "Suicide Girl" -- great for me, right? EXCEPT I had not gotten a phone number, so now my e-mails to her to confirm that the shoot is still on have gone unanswered, since she's probably getting tons of e-mails and messages as a result of the set being posted. So, I don't know if she's still planning to show up at my studio, or not. My gut says no, but I certainly don't want to be the one to stand HER up if she does in fact show up. So, I'll go down to the studio at the appointed time tomorrow and hope that she remembers and honors the appointment. Light a candle for me, please.

Postscript: did hear from this model, and while she is canceling tonight's shoot, she says she does want to reschedule in August because she's spending all her spare time now preparing for a local move. So, keep the candle lit that we actually get to shoot together after all.

My doubts about Tuesday's shoot are multiplied by the fact that I had a no-show, no-call on Monday. I won't mention her name, but here she is at right. I had shot with her before, and she had confirmed by e-mail today and seemed very enthusiastic about the shoot. I'd even booked a make-up artist and we had plans to do a pretty ambitious number of set-ups based on a number of clippings she'd sent me. Sounded like a no-brainer. So, somewhere between 1:00 and 7:00, Cincinnati and Dayton, she either changed her mind, slipped into a coma, or just plain forgot.

What to do about the no-show, no-call models? Part of me feels like warning other photographers about them somehow on OMP or MM or something. Another part realizes it's part of the game, especially when it's a "time for images" shoot, rather than a paid shoot. I get criticized sometimes for paying models, but it sure prevents this no-show problem, which to my mind is worth the money. How much is an evening of my week worth to me? Monday I still had to pay the make-up artist, so that money's down the hole, plus the opportunity cost of either doing another shoot, or working on images from prior shoots, or doing the unthinkable and spending a quiet evening at home.

Just for laughs...

The incredible AngelD from yesterday's shoot, cracking up with her boyfriend. Look for more pix and news from our shoot soon.