Reminder

Any of you Detroit area people, please be sure to stop out at the People's Art Festival on Saturday, and especially look for the Streetwise Art exhibit space inside the main building. Follow the cars, follow the signs... I'll be around the festival most of the day and probably in the exhibit space quite a bit. There will be over 60 framed pieces by 25+ artists and photographers, as well as "loose prints" for sale. I'll have a few copies of my book, Dark Light on hand, too.

I just found out that K Leo and Johnny Flamethrower will have work in the show, and one or both of them may even be in town from the big city, so all the more reason to stop by and take part in the arts festival!

This is Crystallynn, from a shoot in July, obviously the one featured on the flyer. One of my favorite PG-rated shots. :)

Almost Blue

I've added a new link to Blue Art Nudes to the list at right, a blog run by Gunther, who also runs International Glamour Pictures. I'd not visited the sites before today when he sent me a request for a link, but I see he's working with a theme of "blue" nudes. The blue shot at left here is one of mine, Katelyn, from sometime in 2006--a fairly crude example of the technique. The "blue" look can be achieved with simple digital "cross processing" when shooting RAW -- shifting the color temperature of a normal exposure, or the subject can be lit with blue gels, or both.

I point it out because it's another example of someone taking a fairly common technique (or a simple visual element) and deciding to build a theme or project around it, in this case to the extent of having a couple websites devoted to it. This is something I've been considering a bit; whether the idea of doing a thematic project is something I want to pursue further. I've explored a few themes, and actually have something along these lines 90% ready to unveil, but maybe it's time to conjure up a new one. I've had an odd idea in the back of my mind for a while. I think I'll have a few chances to road test it in the next couple weeks...

The other thing I feel like saying is that just because one person starts working with a "theme" of one sort or another, that doesn't make it off-limits for others. Generally, themes are of an elemental level, such as repeated use of a color, or a wardrobe item, or a setting, or a prop, or a trick of the light, or using paint or oil or water or grape jelly on the model, or some simple notion that can be repeated with variations. For some, the theme is a short-lived exercise, maybe a few sessions, or maybe long enough to fill a book, and for others, it endures for years or even an entire career. But just because Richard Avedon did many B&W portraits on a stark white background, that doesn't mean "white" belongs only to him. Granted, if someone does portraits in that style (especially if 4x5 negative frame edges are added after the fact), they bring the inevitable comparisons onto themselves. And some themes are so deliberately unique, such as the Andy Warhol "Factory Treatment," that to get anywhere near them is almost certainly a case of imitation. But there will always be those who look at art to compare and find similarities, and those who look at each piece (or project) on its own merits.

A Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, a photographer shot with a model who went by the name Fairy... And at long last, here she is. This one actually goes back a ways, as some communication problems and miscellaneous delays kept the editing from actually being completed until this week. Slowly catching up, slowly. I'll let you know how "happily ever after" works out.

Waifer thin...

Here are a few of Casey from the Collingwood group shoot in July... hesitated a bit posting these because she looks like she might not be of age, when in fact, she's 21. Used to be someone might describe her as "coltish" but maybe "waifish" is a more current term. She does look a bit like she stepped out of a Jock Sturges book though...

I really like these shots, and the cohesive feel they have, while each is pretty distinct unto itself. I guess one thing I might change is the crucifix necklace... it shows up in a LOT of the other images in her portfolio, but then again, it works well in my shots, so does it really matter? Thanks to Casey for a lovely "get acquainted" shoot...

Seeing Stars?

Iris pointed out a little irony that I'd missed relative to the Nerve.com contest. On the non-member page that shows the contest winners, the naughty bits are hidden behind stars, presumably to protect underage viewers from seeing inappropriate content. Or to just entice you to join Nerve.com to see the uncensored content. The funny part is that on this photo, there are three stars, with one added between the knees, even though nothing at all is visible there, but implying that there's something to see. Not sure if it's creative marketing, or a "better safe than sorry" policy or what, but I found it amusing. Nerve.com is a cool site with lots of great photography and much more... so go ahead and get a membership so you can see all the content without seeing stars.

6 years later...

Once again, I'd drafted a lengthy rant, but it belongs someplace else. It was basically a diatribe about how nineteen guys with boxcutters managed to reduce "the land of the free and the home of the brave" to, well, let's just say something far less noble. It makes me sad to see who we've become and what we've done to our own liberties under the pretext of protecting them... I'm sure our own self-destructive behavior has surpassed OBL's wildest dreams.

News from Nerve... and a Vanishing contest

Just saw that the winners of the June Nerve.com Photo Contest were announced, and I'm pleased to say that I finished in the money again. The June theme was "sexiest photo of someone in a moving vehicle" and while technically, the vehicle that Iris is lounging in was parked, I guess the fact that it's a vehicle was close enough, as only a few of the entries actually had a vehicle in motion. Unusual that they didn't post a commentary to go along with the selections, but I think they're catching up a bit so may be short on time. No complaints here... Many thanks of course to Iris for the shoot... a quick session that's proven to be quite productive. (note: this screen capture is edited to remove ads, etc.)

Coincidentally, the winners of the VanishingTattoo.com photo contests were just announced--basically, a contest for photos featuring tattoos. Some are nudes of models who have tattoos, others are portraits of various tattooed people from all walks of life, or there were some that were simple close-ups of the tattoo art itself. I'd entered in April, May, June, and July, but they'd not announced any winners since March... I was sort of wondering if they'd ever announce them, but they kept adding a new contest each month, so it seemed it was still viable. I actually meant to enter in August, too, but was just too busy and slipped my mind until after the deadline. However, they've decided that they weren't getting enough entries to justify the monthly prize, so they combined four months into two contests and simply nullified the August contest. I did manage to "place" in the April/May and June/July contests, but out of the money. I do think I have an invitation there, too, to submit a portfolio of some of my work that features tattoos, so I'll need to get that rounded up at some point to include there. Thanks to Amber, Ginger, for being in the chosen photos, and all the models from the other photos I'd entered.

Dead End Girl

This is Kelly, aka "Kelly Cadaver" aka "Dead End Girl," and these shots are from the House of Nightmares event a few weeks ago. Not sure how I missed posting some of these, so I'm making up for it today... Kelly is also an excellent photographer and, coincidentally, she will also be showing her work tonight at the Dark Arts Expo at the Foundry nightclub in Dayton. Hope you can make it out to the show, and hope Kelly and I manage to find another time to work together soon. :)

Good company

Got a nice little mention on another art nude "aggregator" blog, xmagx. Seems these things are popping up all over the place, and they tend to do a nice job of collecting images and links from a variety of high quality photographers, or images following a particular "theme." One new one, xmagx, is running the gamut a bit, but I think will be worth keeping an eye on. Another new one, Sensual Art and Photography picked up my recently posted shot of Penny (below). I have a list of links to various art nude sites over on the right column. Some of the talent collected on these sites is just phenomenal, from all over the world, and it can be a little daunting looking at the images... but I try to remember that I'm included in these collections as well. To be sure, it's gratifying to be among such good company.

Events on the horizon

FRIDAY, September 7 will be the "Dark Arts Expo v.2.0" at the Foundry Night Club in Dayton. I'll have a large selection of new prints there (including the shot of Aurora above), as well as a few favorites, so if you're looking for those back-to-school art nudes, look no further. Thanks to Kevin at Dark Mannequin Designs for putting the evening together.

On Saturday, September 15, Streetwise Art of Detroit will have gallery space exhibiting work from 25+ artists, including a number from the Summ(er)otica show. I'll have a couple pieces hanging in the gallery as well as a selection of matted pieces for sale. It's part of the People's Arts Festival in Detroit -- during the day, there will be over 140 individual artists and merchandise booths, along with 25 bands throughout the heart of the Russell Industrial Center, as well as an exclusive private gallery hosted by Streetwise Art within the Russell Industrial Center. Thanks to Adam and Lisolette for putting the Streetwise part of this event together. That's my shot of Crystallynn on the flyer, BTW.

On edit: it looks like I won't be displaying at the Detroit Erotica Ball after all... I was relying on a few other folks to have my work "tag along" with theirs, but for various reasons that won't be happening, and I'm not really in a position to handle the details remotely. The Ball will go on of course, and I may even stop by to take a look around, being the tourist that I am, but as of right now, it looks like the Streetwise space at the People's Art Festival will be the place to see my work in Detroit that weekend.

On edit encore: Looks like Boyd's "Fishnet Nation" event scheduled for October 6 has been cancelled... I'm sure he'll find a way to make another event happen before long.

Coming to a studio near you...

A few more of Raelyn, who's becoming quite a popular model these days, and seems to have made a lot of good contacts at FetishCon a few weeks ago. She's planning an around-the-country tour in October, so if you're a photographer interested in working with her, check out her blog or her thread on MM.

The Final Frontier

"Space...the final frontier."

Earlier today I signed the rental agreement on a new studio space. As evidenced above, Danaid and I were able to give it a quick "audition" the other night and got some nice shots, and I felt at home almost immediately. I actually didn't get a lot of sleep that night because my mind was racing considering the possibilities.

I'm getting it "as is" so will give it a coat of paint (probably a few areas of different colors) for starters, but it does come with a working air conditioning unit AND a sink. I'm thinking the sink will allow things to get a bit messier on shoots, so watch out models. Plus, I'm just a few doors down from Dave Levingston's studio, and we've been talking about a cooperative agreement that could work out very well, too.

My plan is to keep this space as empty as possible to have room for more elaborate set-ups, although anyone who's been to my house knows that may not be entirely realistic. But it should give me more of a sense of permanance since I won't have to worry about vacating after each shoot, so some interesting set-ups and such should result, too. Probably won't be booking a lot right off the bat, since it'll take time to get the place ready to go, and I've been looking at shooting less in September and October to catch up on other matters, but it's nice to have a place to call "home" that's not actually my house. :)

(On edit: The shot of Danaid at the top just showcased on OMP... as Iris pointed out to me "your new studio is bringing you good luck already." Ends a long dry spell there.)

FX

I realize this one is a bit out of character for me, but the pose and the blowing hair just called for a little bit of special effects pizzazz... This is Angel... her blog is on the list at right. She and her husband have been readers of my blog for a while now and we'd corresponded a bit online. I actually met her at an exhibit a while back, which motivated us to get our schedules in sync so we could finally shoot together. Looking forward to going again sometime soon.

Penny

Just because... :)

(On edit: The top shot of Penny was featured at the excellent new art nude round-up site Sensual Art and Photography.)

Initiate

A few from my first session with Lynz... her first "serious" modeling shoot as well, although I have to say we had a lot of laughs that day. I think she did great, and she's eager to go again soon.

This started out as something of a "private" shoot of her (some with her husband), but she's since decided that it's OK for me to post them. She's even recruited a friend or two to work with me, too. We met through an online discussion forum, actually, so if any of you other forum folks stumble onto this, please be cool. :)