Happy Thanksgiving...

Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving Day, whatever form it takes. And don't forget "Buy Nothing Day" on Friday! (See post below.)

This is Angie, who will be on the front lines of retail at a nearby mall, and a reminder that if you DO venture into the stores, go easy on the sales staff -- they've probably been there since the early morning hours, are doing the best they can to take care of everyone, and probably don't have the power to bend the rules for you. Or as Dalton in Roadhouse taught us, "be nice until it's time to not be nice."

Buy Nothing Day

Well, as "Black Friday" approaches yet again, I'll once again mention that November 27 is "Buy Nothing Day" as well. There's a movement to de-emphasize our roles as "consumers" and return to being "people" and not taking part in the spending frenzy of "Black Friday" is a big part of that. Of course, with the economy in the shape it's in, buying something to help retailers and producers get out of the red and into the black seems vaguely patriotic, as the breathless reports of sales and "consumer confidence" will set the tone for the rest of the holiday season, and the economic attitude for the year ahead. It's like a Hollywood blockbuster... if it doesn't have a massive "opening weekend" then it's considered a failure. So, I guess decide for yourself: resist the urge to be defined by how much you spend, or be part of jumpstarting the economy.

A new book takes it a step further... Scroogenomics by Joel Waldfogel proposes that people stop purchasing holiday gifts, or gifts of any kind, because in general, people don't value gifts as much as it costs the giver to purchase them. Only about 25% as much as was spent. So if two friends each buy $100 gifts for the other, chances are, they'll value what they received at about $25, whereas if they'd spent that money on themselves, they would each value what they bought at $100, or possibly more. Little kids get hooked on ripping open packages, and like getting toys and such, so you have a fighting chance that they'll value what you buy them. But teens to adults to seniors, not so much. Many people already have way too much stuff as it is. This makes a lot of sense to me, actually, as being one who's tough to buy for -- to the point of feeling guilty if I get a gift that I don't like, but that the giver obviously spent a good deal of money to buy.

Waldfogel suggests buying gift cards instead of actual gifts, but that's not guaranteed either. A comedian (I can't recall) said something like "a gift card isn't a gift -- it's an errand. You're telling that person to go the the store you choose, and spend time finding something they want because you were too lazy to do it yourself." Plus, the recipient usually can't find something for exactly $25, so they either leave money on the card, or have to spend a little of their own on the purchase.

So, maybe the answer is to give the gift of yourself. Rather than spending time and money buying some "gift item" and shipping it off to a friend, sit down and write them an actual letter, or make plans to get together, or make a commitment to yourself that you'll talk on the phone with them more regularly. It could really be the gift that keeps on giving.

The shot is the gifted Hayley, from about 2 years ago. Sounds like she may be getting back into modeling once again!

Dock Ellis Dee

An urban legend from my youth that turned out to be true. Swiped from Chase Lisbon's blog... featuring guest blogger Katie West.

B & W

A welcome arrival in today's mail... the new issue of B&W Magazine, featuring the winners of their Single Image contest. My shot of Jessa received a merit award and is included in the issue (pg. 72 to be exact). Thanks Jessa!

Only 15 nude/body images were chosen for the issue, so I feel honored to have made the cut!

I received my subscription copy today, so I'm guessing most subscribers will get theirs soon, and that it should be available on newstands any day now. Get yours while you're picking up a copy of the new Carrie Leigh NUDE, promised in stores November 18.

Black Tambourine

This is a little video demo/test I did a few months ago with Kira Nova. Not sure why I didn't post it at the time, but here it is. It's just a very impromtu test, and a jiffy quick edit job, but it reminds me that I want to explore some more along these lines. Let me know what you think, and if the video works ok for you. :)

First Friday

Tonight is "First Friday" -- the monthly night where the art galleries and such stay open late and folks congregate in the artistic "pockets" of town to look at art and things, maybe sip some wine or nosh on finger foods. Will probably head down and see what's going on. May bump into Dave L and his entourage while I'm down there, and who knows who else?

This shot is Spilt Sugar, before the stuff piled in the old entranceway was re-arranged...

Carrie Leigh encore

Got the word that I'll have another feature in the upcoming issue of Carrie Leigh Nude Magazine. I don't know exactly which images they selected from what I submitted, so I'm not yet sure which models I need to thank, but I'm hoping to see a copy in the next week or two.

This is their 2nd Anniversary issue, and I find it quite encouraging that the magazine has been able to thrive in a very challenging market. Many magazines don't get past their first issue or two, and print publications are losing ad revenue and page count for a variety of reasons. Yet CLN has maintained top-notch quality without outside advertising. It's also great to see that a magazine devoted to artistic nude photography is doing so well, with most issues selling out of their press run. Congratulations to Carrie and her team for two excellent years, and continued success in the future!

If you're interested in getting a copy of the Fall 2009 issue, I'd suggest pre-ordering from their website. $9.95 postpaid for a limited time, which is two bucks off the cover price, plus it's delivered right to your mailbox. (on edit: it's now $11.95 plus $3 postage, but it's still conveeeenient.) If you prefer to buy on the newstand, I've found previous issues to be readily available at most Barnes & Noble stores, usually in the photography section, or in the "gentlemen's" section along with Playboy/Maxim, etc. Start looking around November 18. Either way, I hope you'll check it out!

This shot of Reven was one of the contenders, so check the issue to see if it was included.

Unsettled

Well, I'm moved but still unsettled. With a big assist from Ron, last night I got my stuff out of the old space, and most of it into the new space. Some went into storage, some went home, and more of it will probably end up at Goodwill, but for now, it's in a stack in the middle of the room. There's a promising amount of photogenic filth on three of the walls, and a freshly drywalled area that's just begging to be primed and painted black (or white?). I also noticed last night that in addition to no windows, there's not even a radiator, so hard to say what the temperature will be like in the closed system. I do have a couple space heaters for if it gets too cold. Anyway, I want to do a bit more cleaning before I try to "settle into" the space.

One big advantage the new space offers is the nearby restrooms are by far the cleanest I've seen in the entire studio "complex" -- I believe the machine shop next door must be responsible for that. Thanks guys! I'm sure the models will thank you, too. (And thanks again, Ron!)

This shot is the lovely Angie, who I need to get into the new space soon!

The windowless room

Well, for the many of you who have been eagerly awaiting my decision, I've opted for a small studio space, at least on a short-term basis. One substantial change... no windows, so I'll be working with studio lights, in addition to my "shoot and dash" method around the vicinity. I'll have to see how I like the space, while I keep my eyes open for other spectacular studio opportunities.

This is Danaid, who helped me inaugurate my previous studio a while back.

Let's Get Tropical.

Although this was shot in Ohio, for some reason, the foliage makes me think of California... maybe because I watched "Semi-Pro" last weekend, about the fictional ABA team, the Flint Tropics.

That's Amy Rose, soaking up the shade.

On the set

This is a shot from two Junes ago of Trishy, shortly before her "retirement" from modeling. It was excellent getting to work with her, but I thought I'd post this shot partly because it occurred to me that, although it looks like any old run-down house with peeling wallpaper, it was actually part of a movie location set in the Antelope Valley. I think that Jennifer Lopez movie "U-Turn" was shot, in part, at this location, as well as various others.

Compare the shot of Trishy with this shot of Xaina, from an actual abandoned hotel in Detroit. Shooting at the set had something of an advantage in that the building was actually somewhat structurally sound, and was certainly easier to get around. But there was a lot more variety in Detroit, along with a lot more broken glass. To her credit, for Xaina, the grungier a location is, the better.

Thanks to both models for their dedication!

Studio change

Since I got serious about photography, I've had three "permanent" studio spaces, in addition to the countless borrowed spaces, surreptitious locations, hotels and such. So, seems the time is drawing near to leave studio space number 3, and I'm considering a few other options... the space I'm leaving had a lot going for it, as well as a few problems, but overall it's been a very productive time there. One of the big attractions of the space was the giant wall of windows that sometimes worked for me, and sometimes worked against me. The nasty hardwood floor also had a lot of charm to it. Still, it was starting to feel a bit "used up" in some respects, so moving on may be just the thing...

That's Galetea at the top and bottom, with Alexis in between.

Red Dress

Another one from a while back, Jennifer B in what amounts to her trashing her prom dress a few years after the fact. She'd already removed the lining and was left with sort of tattered lace shell, which she pretty much destroyed during the shoot. I like the warm colors from that chilly basement.

Fall

Definitely autumn here in Ohio... chilly to downright cold, winter coat out, space heaters going, furnace on for that first blast of faintly smoky "furnace air" that I enjoy on some primordial level, a little like the distant smell of burning leaves... we'll "fall back" in a couple weeks so it doesn't get dark quite so soon. Supposed to have a bit of "Indian Summer" this week, so I may try to get out and enjoy that while it lasts.

So, to counter that somewhat, here's a couple shots from June when things were quite a bit warmer... although you can't really tell from these shots. The model has changed her stage name at least twice since then, so I'll just refer to her as it was when I shot with her: Cry Kitten.

Resurfacing

This is Victoria out in the middle of farm country, northwest Ohio.

Outside looking in

Is that the same as insight?

Model: Victoria Vertuga, shot in plain view of the street on a Sunday morning.

Boxed in...

Model: Tomika D

On the rocks...

Well, asphalt, actually...

Model: Victoria Vertuga

Blog Neglect

Sorry for being absent from the blog of late. A wide variety of distractions, good and bad, happening, and much of the time I simply don't know what to say.

Here's Kira Nova from our most recent shoot. She's been working out and is getting quite buff, so I thought I'd try to show off that aspect of her physique. Thanks Kira!

Kinsey show ending...

If you'd intended to get over to scenic Bloomington, IN, to check out the Kinsey Institute Juried Art Show, you have less than two weeks to do it, as the show comes down July 31. But if you can't make the trip, you can see JPGs of most pieces in the show's online gallery.

This shot is Nozimova, not from the show, but from a shoot I did with her in Bloomington the day of the show's opening party. Not sure who the limestone faces are, if it was part of a tombstone or some memorial plaque, or maybe just practice for one of the artisans that used to work in that location.

Marquis Exhibit

Will have a few pieces on display and for sale at the Marquis de Sade Ball in exotic Pontiac, MI, this weekend. It promises to be a very lavish affair (no jeans or street clothes) and while I won't be there in person, just try to think of me as locked away in my dungeon, wearing my powdered wig, sternly reprimanding some helpless lady of the court. Or something.

Joshua Trish

Here's Trish from last summer's desert workshop outing. Have cherry picked a few shots here and there from that trip, but need to go back into them and do a serious edit. Actually catching up on editing recent shoots, and have been limited my shooting as I've always said I would, so I may get to turn my attention back to some of the long neglected shoots that have been somewhat haunting me.

Sorry for the lack of updates recently... anyone still out there?

Support Stephy C

Been a while since I asked you to go vote on something, but my friend Stephy C is in contention for a pretty serious prize, and could use your support to put her over the top. As she explains it: "You can vote once a day (per computer) every day until July 1st. I'm the 2nd thumbnail in the 2nd to last row (it's in alphabetical order). And don't forget that you can always help promote me..." To vote, just follow the link, let the page load, select her thumbnail (near the bottom of the page) then scroll back up to the top to cast your vote. Thanks!

Update: Stephy has moved into second place! Voting ends July 1, so please take a minute and help her move into the top spot!

Final Update: Stephy held on to win the second place prize! Congrats Stephy, and thanks to those of you who took the time to vote!

Blow-Up

In yet another instance of life imitating art, a number of years after Mr. Show parodied a NASA mission to blow up the moon because "we have the technology and science demands it" comes the news of a NASA mission to fire a rocket into the moon and blow up a chunk to create a six-mile dust cloud, ostensibly in search of ice or water. I'd echo the monkey's question of "why?" and the protestor's sentiment that there are things right here on earth we need to blow up first.

Not sure why I picked this particular shot of Danaid to put here, but I get a kick out of it. She's always a blast to work with.

Got word from Vato that he'd received his subscription copy of Erotic Review with my feature in it, and that the printing and all looks good. They're sending me a few copies, but just shipped today, so I might not have them until July sometime. The magazine is also "putting to bed" their book of the contest, and it looks like I'll have 6 or 7 pages in that as well, so I'm guessing that should be available in a month or so. The 2008 book is still available, with 4 of my shots in it.

Think I have the Chicago trip pretty well figured out. Looks like I'll be working with 9 models over 5 days, and attending a show of one of my old-school favorite bands, X, at the Double Door. Should be an excellent weekend... so, until I return back to the bloggin' seat, I'll leave you with another shot of Danaid.

Chicago Bound

This is another draft story I didn't actually post from last year, but the title is fitting today. Going to Chicago next week for some shoots, a little less prepared at this point than I'd like to be. Going to try to pin down more details in the next couple days. However, if any of you readers know of shooting locations in Chicago, would greatly appreciate it if you left a comment with some information. Abandoned buildings, old buildings, stairwells, basements, etc.

This shot is actually from NYC, where I rented studio space, but ended up getting all my best stuff in the stairwells and fire escape. Go figure. :)

Second Thoughts

Another "unabandoned" draft from a while ago... not sure what I was having second thoughts about, but I don't think it was related to these images of Kate. (Would enjoy the chance to shoot with her again, but she seems to have dropped off the radar.) Sometimes, I have second thoughts about a blog entry, in that something isn't suitable, or a rant I typed to get off my chest, but thought better of posting. But it's lost now.

Have had some minor wake-up calls as to the passing of time lately. The other day, someone mentioned a movie, and in my mind I thought, "oh yeah, that was fairly recent... maybe 5 or 6 years ago." Then I looked it up on IMDB, and it came out in 1994, or FIFTEEN years ago. Also this week, I was given an invitation by a co-worker to a graduation party for his son... from college! Again, I had to stop and rewind, but realize that we've worked together for probably 12 years now. (The other thing that means is that his son is older than Kate here.) I'm sorry, these time spans are simply NOT possible. Maybe with another birthday on the horizon, I'm subconsciously more aware of stuff like this, but geez, I think a recount is in order.

Speaking of recount, I read the other day that over $50 million has been spent on legal fees and such between Al Franken and Norm Coleman in the Minnesota senate race, that more than six months after the election has still not been definitively settled. When it was "too close to call" but seemed just a hair in Coleman's favor, he was demanding that Franken concede without dragging lawyers into it, like it was just the proper and polite thing to do. But once Franken's pursuit of a full counting of the ballots and the recount show that FRANKEN actually seems to have the slim lead, there's no legal ploy that Coleman won't attempt. It's conceivable, given some very specific laws and possible appeals, that Franken won't be seated until fall or winter. Come on, Norm. Just give it up. You lost. Get over it. Get a job on Faux News with those big bleached teeth of yours and let your state be represented.

Feeling drafty...

Just noticed that I have 99 blog posts that are stuck in the limbo of "draft" mode. These are generally just a picture, or maybe a few lines, intended to be expanded and expounded upon at greater length, but some urgency or other distracted me from finishing the job. This shot of Galetea has been languishing in the draft folder for almost a year, and I have no recollection as to what cogent commentary I once had in mind, or what prompted me to select this shot from among the various images from our first shoot. Imagine, me, with no recollection of something. :/

I've added this second image from our second shoot... you may compare and contrast as you like, and submit your essays to me before the end of the term for extra credit.

Anyway, maybe I'll just raid the draft folder and see what else is in there to be unleashed... as long as it's not gone stale. Stay tuned.

Big Brother is watching

Was reminded tonight that it's the 60th anniversary of the publication of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four -- once required reading in American high schools, it relates the story of an individual trying to experience bits of freedom in a totalitarian state, and paying the price. Some call it "science fiction" because at the time it was written, it was set 35 years in the future... it's taken a bit longer, but a huge amount of what Orwell foretold is coming to pass. Most notably, the government's need for "total information awareness" on all citizen activity -- an article published today discusses how the UK government is monitoring and recording ALL internet and telephone activity in the name of combating terrrrism. The US government is likely not far behind, but just isn't admitting it. Orwell had a two-way screen in every home, broadcasting propaganda while monitoring activity within its view. You're probably looking at one such device right now. The protagonist's job in the book is to revise old news stories to fit the current political orthodoxy, or adjust the facts as necessary -- again, this is happening online all the time, with websites constantly revised to reflect the current state of truth. The demise of the printed newspaper will make revisionist history just a few clicks away -- much easier than in the book, where old newspapers were routinely collected, destroyed, and replaced with "corrected" versions.

He also missed by forecasting scarcity of basic consumer products, while the better way of placating the masses is by providing plenty of cheap food and entertainments. (Aldus Huxley's Brave New World got that one right.) Rather, he expected perpetual war whose purpose is not victory, but to consume resources and destroy them, rather than improving anyone's standard of living. We've just decided to do both, while creating massive debts.

As grim and unsettling as the book is to read, I find it simply fascinating. And if you've not read it since you skimmed the Cliff's Notes back in your school days, I'd suggest picking up a copy and reading it, while you still can.

Tiny Bubbles...

A shot from a while ago... the tiny bubbles seem appropriate for model Carly Champagne. Somewhat out of the blue, this was chosen for OMP's "Nude Image of the Day" for... tomorrow? Not complaining. I like being ahead of my time once in a while. :)
On closer inspection, looks like this shot of Reveille won from her portfolio a few weeks back...
And I do now recall seeing this winner from Keira's port a while back, too.... Hmm, go figure.

"Is there concrete all around, or is it in my head?"

Seems like nothing on the internet is quite working today... must be some sort of 3-day weekend hangover.

Got good news about another publication opportunity, which I guess I'll keep under wraps a bit longer, although I've already let most of the models know that it'll be happening before long.

This Friday at 7 is the opening of the Kinsey Institute Juried Art Show 2009 over in Bloomington, IN. A shot I did with Tia that's a little more explicit than I like to post here was selected for the show. I'll be attending the opening reception Friday evening, and possibly the open house Saturday afternoon if you're in the area and care to stop by. Congratulations also to Lisolette and Vato for getting pieces in the show. See you there!

That's Ami there, behind the screen. Have a small series of these that I like quite a bit...

Hiding out...

Sorry for the lack of activity here... just trying to sort things out.

This is Mina from the last Chicago trip. Another one is in the works if anyone can suggest/offer shooting locations in the city.

Unconnected thoughts...

One of the more gratifying bits of recognition I've received as a photographer is the ongoing support of the folks at NuExpo.com -- the French art nude online magazine that ran an profile on me a while ago. Every so often, they pick a few recent shots and put me in the rotation on their homepage, alongside some of the world's best and well-known photographers. They then add the shots to my gallery next to my original interview. (Read the English text here.) The most recent selection features Tia, Char Rose, and Sweet Romance. So, once again, Bonjour à mes amies a NuExpo.com!

On another "worthy cause" front, print media is in pretty deep trouble these days... companies are cutting back on advertising in magazines and newspapers, people are used to content being free to the point where they won't pay for magazines or websites, and so many different specialized publications sprung up that the market is overcrowded. Sadly, some of the better publications are having tough times. Paste Magazine is one of them... Paste is a music magazine that covers "music for grownups" for lack of a better word, and does it quite well. But they're in a bind, so they're asking for donations to help keep them afloat for a while. The upside is, if you donate, you'll get access to a "vault" of over 70 rare songs by some pretty cool artists, such as Ben Folds, The Minus 5, Robyn Hitchcock, Bob Pollard, Decemberists, Cowboy Junkies, and tons more. So, toss them what you'd pay for one CD at Best Buy and get about 7 CDs worth of cool new music instead.

If you don't, Jessa will be as sad as she appears to be in this picture...

Art imitates The Onion

There's an article in the new issue of The Onion -- "Detroit Mayor Throws First Brick In Glass-Breaking Ceremony For New Slum" -- that brings up some mixed feelings... on the surface, it's pretty funny, as the absurdist newspaper usually manages to be. But at the same time, it's a sad reminder of the blight that permeates Detroit, a city that was once a beautiful, thriving community not all that long ago. (Right Joe?)

It's also strange, in that these are the kinds of places I like to shoot sometimes, so it seems almost like a good idea to construct something like this as a photo location. Realistic, but without collapsing floors, asbestos dust or rusty nails. Sort of like the "pre-decrepit" ghost town movie sets out in California. But it's not like Detroit needs any more slums, even faux ones...

This shot of Natasha was taken in Detroit, and despite the leaky roof, broken glass and random trash, this is part of a residential hotel that's open to the public, and charges a fairly steep rate for a night's lodging (in one of the somewhat tidier areas of the building). Honestly, Detroit is doing what they can, but the resources are so limited, it's slow going.

Recently spent a day in Detroit shooting some abandoned spaces that I'm sure were once magnificent, but are now trashed, probably beyond hope. Even out in Arizona, we'd approach a beautiful rock formation, only to get close and see countless names carved into the soft sandstone. Why is the destructive urge so strong in so many people?

Carrie Leigh at last

Finally saw a printed copy of the Spring 2009 Carrie Leigh Nude magazine with my feature in it, and it's a nice feeling indeed. They used four shots (one a 2-page spread) and wrote up a little profile paragraph. Congrats to the models in the issue, Jessica, Xaina and Katy T, for being chosen, and thanks to all the models from the past 3+ years for helping me progress and grow as a photographer.

Online sale of individual copies has ended, so to get the current issue by mail you can subscribe, or you can visit your local Borders, Barnes & Noble, Hastings, or other big box newsstand to see if they have copies for sale. I'll probably do that later myself...

Congratulations to my friends and acquaintances featured in the issue: Tia, Tom Lane, |ris/Becky, Chip Willis, Carlotta Champagne, David LeBeck, Betcee May, Antoine de Villiers, and Lloyd Rosen, as well as the other models and photographers.

P.S. Just found a number of copies at my local Barnes & Noble, so B&N and Borders would probably be the first places to look if you wanna copy.

100

Not that anyone but me is counting... the model is Jen, aka Sweet Romance.

Secured

Found this little note in my bag when I got home from the Arizona trip I wrote about but failed to post, in case you were wondering where I'd been for the past week or so. Tia got one on the flight out there, and I got this one on the flight home. I guess the good news is that I bought one of those special TSA padlocks -- supposedly they can open it while the "throwers" may be slightly deterred. Turns out it works, so that's good. Not sure why they picked me -- maybe my tripod looked suspicious under the x-ray... or perhaps they just love the smell of a week's worth of dirty desert laundry. But I know I feel much safer now. Or something. (Found out that Tia also got one on her hop from El Paso to Santa Fe... maybe they like sniffing her laundry, too.)

In other news, apparently the folks at Nerve.com have pulled the plug on their "monthly" photo contest... photos were entered along the lines of various themes they proposed. Used to be a monthly contest, then they'd let 'em run for two months, then three... finally, they just pulled links to the contest from the site, so apparently they won't ever judge the "Sexiest photo of someone with breakfast cereal" contest, or the "Sexiest photo of someone doing yoga" theme. If it's not generating visitors or memberships or whatever, I can see pulling the contest, but I don't really abide them not awarding prizes for the last couple of contests. (I've managed to win 3 times before, if I recall correctly.) Here are my entries for the yoga thing... Mandy, Engel and Spilt Sugar, getting their OM on.