"Adventures in the skin trade..."

One night only, June 28, mark your calendars... I've been invited to be part of a show called "Skin Art" if you couldn't tell by the poster art here. Other photographers/artists slated to appear include: Dave Levingston, Kidtee Hello, Dark Mannequin, Simeon Oyeyemi, and Stillborn Photography. In addition, there will be some tattoo artists/piercers, plus four bands and a few other surprises.

I guess Dave and I are included because there's a lot of skin in our art... the others tend to work a little more towards the dark/goth side of things with piercings and tattoos -- although I'm no stranger to that territory -- so there should be something for everybody and every body. I'll have a few framed pieces there, as well as a selection of matted prints, and possibly even some loose prints at affordable prices. So, if you're in the Dayton area, stop by The Pearl (formerly the Dayton Diner) the evening of the 28th and be sure to bring your skin.

Tattoo You

Another model who goes by a variety of names, so I'll just call her Consuela for now. We've been talking about shooting for a long while, and finally made it happen a few weeks ago. She was really into the process, and I ended up "abusing" her a bit more than I usually do with models. Having her climb through the garbage to pose, nudes pretty much in full view of about half of my building, getting her dress soaking wet to find that it didn't really look any different than when it was dry, some tricky poses in a corset on skates (she's a roller derby queen who skates under the name "Carson O'Genic"), and even just putting on that sheer black top scraped her arm which was still tender from the extensive work done on her tattoo sleeve, so if one arm looks a bit puffy, that's why. But she was a trooper and content just to get a couple of cigarette breaks.

The first pictures I saw of her, she had longer hair, and it wasn't evident that she had such extensive tattooing. She's very proud of the recently completed chest piece, and excited by the start of new sleeve work. But I was equally intrigued by the scars, one down her stomach, and a c-section scar that intersects an older tattoo. She suggested that they could be easily retouched out, which they could have been, but I prefer leaving them in. Someone once described tattoos as something like a diary of the places you've been in your life, and who you become as life goes on. It's an attitude I like -- that there's no extra points for going to the funeral home with no scratches or dents, so why not mark the trail. But the scars are part of her, too. She's a mother of two, and I'm sure there's a story to go with the other scar, and her confidence revealing herself in front of the camera is part of who she is, and part of why I like the results of this shoot so much. Not quite the flawless figure of a goddess, but the beautiful figure of a real woman living a real life.

Tempting Fate...

Well, I've been feeling good all week, so with some encouragement from Andi (in the form of driving down here and fetching my butt) I'm going to attend Boyd's Halloween group shoot at the Collingwood. Something of an anniversary for me... last year's Halloween event was where I first met a LOT of people who have been so helpful and motivating as I began my pursuit of model photography. Besides meeting Boyd, who has provided a lot of encouragement and inspiration, I also have become part of the circle of models that take part in these events, and are some of my favorite people to work with. I even very briefly met Andi at the event, even though we didn't really connect until a few months later. Talk about fate. For an event I attended more or less on a whim, it sure has had a big impact on my life in the past year. Hope this year's is as much fun and as productive. Light a candle for me.

Above are a couple LensBaby favorites from last year's shoot: Barbie with the Madonna figure, and The Sad Alligator and her splendid body art -- yes, that's tattoo work, not paint.

Altered Egos

This is what I wrote a few days ago before Roadrunner stranded my home computer. Rather than edit that one, I get to add a new one with another picture.

Here we have Miss May, definitely one of the more "alt" of the alt models I've worked with. Strikingly beautiful face, tall, dancer's figure, the effect is intensified by her personal style which includes a variety of exotic piercings, and her hair almost completely shorn except for a forehead lock and locks at either temple. She is a fixture in the punk/goth scene in Northwest Ohio who recently began modeling from time to time. I had the chance to work with her at a group shoot back in May and we did two sets -- one in her full punk regalia, and another that focused more on her glamourous side. Sort of a twisted Audrey Hepburn in a way. I'm hoping to work with her again soon.

I've worked with a number of "alt" models over the past year or so, and have really gained an appreciation for interesting tattoo work and a strategically placed piercing. For supposedly being the "alternative" scene, it seems to rival mainstream modeling at least in terms of numbers, visibiilty, and the beauty of the models. Of course, it's not always easy to tell where to draw the line. I would say that probably 75% of the models I work with have at least one tattoo or non-traditional piercing, and a lot of them look at "alt" modeling (including fetish and bondage work) as more of a wardrobe choice or role playing, while some "live the lifestyle" to a greater extent as part of their personality. As a photographer, having a wider range of what is "beautiful" presents many more new opportunities than limiting oneself to a more traditional range of "model good looks." I enjoy my forays to the alt side, and I hope those who look at my work appreciate the beauty I find in these models, too.