Glowing

Realize I'm a bit overdue for a post, but things have been rather hectic here with the aftermath of the accident, and other more enjoyable developments. Also, starting to gear up for spring shooting season and realizing I didn't manage to really catch up with myself over the winter "downtime" even. Sounds like a change in workflow is in order. Maybe the new Aperture 2.0 will offer some solutions, if it ever ships.

Here's Byby26 from the recent Collingwood adventure... got her after a session with another photographer who evidently had her pose on something she was allergic to, so she didn't feel so great. Can't tell it from this shot though. Be sure to look at it full size; I think it's really beautiful. :) Looking forward to another session with her when she's feeling like herself.

(On edit: evidently OMP agrees.)

The return of Amanda

Got a note from Amanda the other day to set up a shoot now that she's getting back into the swing of modeling after the birth of her son. It's been too long since we worked together, and the last time I saw her, she just had the beginnings of a "baby bump" but the maternity shots I saw of her were beautiful, and I'm sure we'll get some wonderful shots together. These are from a shoot we did a while back... I'll keep you posted!

Thanks Iris

Just a quick entry to say "thank you" to the lovely Iris, not only for being such a splendid and inspirational model, but also for being a wonderful and supportive friend. I can always count on her to lend an ear and offer a positive attitude and enthusiastic encouragement. Plus she throws a great party, and looks amazing in a latex evening gown, too. Thanks Iris! xox

This may be my new favorite shot of her, among many, many favorites.

Chillin'

Here's Diann looking quite relaxed and beautiful last summer... she's recently become a mother, and while she's still beautiful, I doubt she has much time to lounge around like this these days. Congratulations Diann.

Crash

Had a little mishap out on the icy overpass Monday night... looks like the car is toast, but I'm OK, apart from a few aches and pains this morning. It was a chain reaction of crashes -- one car tapped another which spun out, and another car hit it. Other cars tried to stop to avoid the accident and either crashed or were targets for other projectiles. It was just over the crest of a hill, so even under good conditions, it would have been tough to avoid hitting cars randomly stopped in the middle of the offramp. Weird thing is, it was almost an exact replay of an accident I had about 20 years ago on a Super Bowl Sunday...

Apart from the fact that nobody was seriously hurt and that I'm OK (and that nobody was cited), the "miracle" of the evening is that I had most of my "traveling" photo gear in the trunk -- lights, stands, tripod, etc -- which took a pretty direct impact from a pretty big SUV, and everything appears to be just fine. Again, similar to my wreck way back when. Spooky... there are various other ironies and coincidences that go along with it, too, but I'll spare you.

So anyone have a good used car for sale near southwest Ohio?

Here's Amaya, projecting a mood reflecting how I'm feeling about the wreck and the aftermath I'll get to deal with in the next couple weeks.

I'm thinking about having a print sale to raise some funds... if you'd be interested in purchasing a print or three at reasonable prices, let me know.

Look up...

When you're driving around town, be sure to look up once in a while... you'd be surprised at what you may see. :)

Dirty Finale

Saturday is the last night for this year's Dirty Show, so if you haven't made it out yet, you still have one last chance to see all the goodies. I'll be there by 9 or so if you care to stop out and say "hey" or maybe pick up a print or two.

Here's a sneak peek of Iris from a quick shoot we did last weekend... shh!

Driven

Well, after a rather stupid "navigation error" last weekend cost me an extra hour on the road, I'm glad to finally join the satellite set with a nice little Garmin GPS gadget to help keep me on the right track when traveling. (Now I just need to get a spare car key, but that's another story.) The GPS is old news to a lot of people, but I'm still pretty enamored of it, just driving here and there around town. I could definitely use more direction in my life, so this is a good start, I think. Doing a fair amount of driving this weekend, including a couple new places, and while I'll probably print out Google maps just to be on the safe side, I'm looking forward to putting this thing thru its paces a bit. Of course, the next step is to try it offroad, but one adventure at a time.

Here's Amanda from a while back showing her appreciation for structural integrity.

Heart-Shaped Box 2

Another wish to all for a Happy Valentine's Day, aka "The Hallmark Holiday." Hope yours is as red-hot as the inimitable S. is here. :)

Sometimes I'm not quite sure what to say...

Well, the busy weekend has come and gone, with lots of highs and a few low points (for contrast I suppose). Had productive, if brief, shoots with Orixx, Ayden, Crystallynn/Rez, Jesslynn, Ayla, Justin, and last but not least, the always inspiring Iris. The Dirty Show was a good time, and I was happy to see that one of my exhibit pieces sold (at last). Congrats also to Adam, Vato, Andi, Frank, Johnny Flamethrower, and everyone else who sold, too. Have had a variety of weird signals the past few days that I'm trying to sort out, so will suspend judgment. Also laughed more than I remember laughing in a long time. What's it all add up to? I'll try to figure that out, but until I do, here's Amaya.

PS. Anyone in Detroit and/or Columbus who reads this and knows of a studio or location (almost any space would do) that I can borrow for an afternoon in the next few weeks, please contact me by leaving a comment, and include a way I can reach you. Thanks!

Valentine's Day Approaches...

Best wishes to everyone for a Happy Valentine's Day... here's Miss Kittie with her hearts on, part two of our "Postits" series.

Splish Splash...

A trio of shots of the beautiful Angela to get you through the weekend... Looking forward to working with her under less limiting circumstances.

I feel like I'll see EVERYONE tomorrow night! Cheers!

Dirty Countdown

Dirty Show 9 is upon us, opening tomorrow night in downtown Detroit to the usual flamboyant fanfare. I'll be there Saturday evening, and probably next Saturday evening as well, so I hope to see you there. (BTW, there's construction in the area so check for updated directions.) Two of my pieces will be hanging in the show, and I'll have about 50 unframed prints for sale in the "museum store." If you are planning to go during a peak time, I'd suggest ordering tickets online for will call...

Here's "Plain Jayne Jones" in a shot I call "Ascent of a Woman" -- someone suggested I should enter this in the show, but I didn't listen. Maybe next time.

Kitten

Lots of model names can verge on the obscure, but Italian Kitten is a perfect fit for this young lady. Had the opportunity to work with her in an impromptu session at a recent group shoot, and she really lived up to her name with playful energy and enthusiasm, besides being totally adorable. Looking forward to a little more structured shoot soon, but it was a really great introduction and yielded some nice results. Purr...

Inventions

Three more from the shoot that almost didn't happen... Thanks Rebecca for a great shoot.

Bonjour NuExpo.com readers...

Welcome to readers of France's NuExpo.com online photography magazine...

For everyone else, you can check out the feature/interview here, even though it's been translated into French. The Altavista translation back to English is pretty comical, so I think I'll post the original English text of it as a comment to this entry if you'd care to read it. Probably still pretty comical.

Thanks to the models whose photos are featured: Dreamscapes (above), Rose, Sabrina, London Andrews, Zinn Star, Amaya, Plain Jayne Jones, Sativa/Nikki, Penny, Carlotta Champagne, and Engel Schrei. Also, thanks to Dave Levingston for the "in action" photo that is somehow the largest image in the feature, LOL. And thank you François from NuExpo.com for inviting me to be a part of your outstanding publication.

Heated Exchange

A few shots to heat up a chilly winter night... Dreamscapes and Miss Kittie.

Should be a good weekend, cryptically speaking... hope yours is, too.