100

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

Days

A couple images from my recent (and long overdue) shoot with Char Rose... we met back in 2007, and she lives in the next 'burb over, but various circumstances kept us from working together until now.

Also gives me a chance to point out that I've been playing with more post-processing lately. I still strive to get it as close to "right" as possible in-camera, but I'm enjoying the smörgåsbord of options now available. So, we have the top image, which is basically as shot, and the color image, with a little digital magic applied. Not sure if it's "just a phase" for me, or a new direction, but there it is.

Also, I've not done my usual "death updates" lately but I did want to note the untimely passing of two very different icons from my youth. Flash-in-the-Pan pitching phenom Mark Fidrych (54) and girl-next-door porn star Marilyn Chambers (56). They were both way too young to go. I'd just been reading about Fidrych a few weeks ago. Combined with the life-threatening illness of Farrah Fawcett, it all once again reminds me how little time any of us really get...

"Sometimes I sits and thinks... sometimes I just sits."

A quote attributed to good old Satchel Paige, who usually had a certain wisdom about him. I think just sitting could be good advice for a while.

Here's a couple of Danaid, recently finished and polished up. The top one was awarded my 80th OMP Showcase, for what it's worth. That's over 140 if you count model showcases of my shots, and why shouldn't you?

I got a new drug

Went to the doctor today, a different one than my usual, and she hooked me up with some antibiotics to fight back against whatever is kicking my ass, or more accurately, my chest. After a coughing jag, I feel a little like (beep) when she gets a shotgun load of rock salt in her chest in Kill Bill, Part 2. The "fire hydrants" of blood in Part 1 had me scoffing a bit, but it seemed like the story actually kicked in for Part 2. (She should have grabbed the other sword and the million bucks though.) Yes, I'd not seen them all the way through until this week. Sue me.

Turns out four more of my shots of Athena have showcased on OMP, alas unlinked. I wasn't really seeking them out, but stumbled onto them, with help from Tia the showcase machine since reactivating her OMP a week or so back. Models, please do try to link back to me when you post images, and if I fail to correctly link to you, please let me know straight away, OK?

Feels a bit overdue for the "what do showcases mean" discussion... it's been months. I guess they mean whatever they mean, and even if they're meaningless, why not claim them?

Tiana

Still feeling blah... had to cancel a shoot for this evening that the model and I had already rescheduled once. Guess it's just that time of year. Well get it done sooner or later.

Here are a couple quick images from my shoot with Tiana this summer, just saw they showcased on OMP. :) And she's even using one of my shots as her main image, a showcase of sorts in its own right.

Raising the Bar

I may still chicken out, but I went ahead and pre-ordered a Canon EOS-5D Mark II. I just hope all my models don't start expecting me to provide this on a TFP basis. They'll at least have to pay for the helicopter rental.

Been getting a LOT of nice comments about these shots of PXE over on my Flickr stream, as well as a showcase over on the increasingly quiet OMP. I remember just a few months ago, she meekly posted a shot where her nipple was visible thru some fabric... now you can't keep clothes on the girl. Not that anyone is complaining... she's been doing some amazing work with tons of talented people around the country. Meow! *Dances*

Oh yeah, the art nude thing...

Keep forgetting... actually, it just doesn't seem fitting sometimes to stick a nude in the middle of a political rant.

Here's Katy T (top) and Aveda Marie from some recently edited stuff. Check the Flickr photostream to see more, and request a free membership to see the best stuff.

More Megan

A few more of the svelte Megan... looking forward to another shoot with her before long. The top image here showcased on OMP, I'm sure thanks to her remarkable definition. Heading to Chicago for the weekend, and looking forward to working with a few of the local gems up that way. A full report upon my return. And to models still awaiting edited images, thank you for your continued patience...

Amanda returns...

As mentioned before, got to shoot with Amanda a couple weeks ago to help her establish her "post baby" portfolio. She looked great and as always was excellent to work with, making it all seem effortless. Plus, she's still enjoying a bit of a "baby bonus" which added an extra something to the shots. She's already talking about shooting again... maybe she's been watching too much "Teletubbies."

Part of the fun of shooting with Amanda is always getting some shots of her hamming it up for the camera. Go figure that out of all the shots she posted on her OMP, THIS is the one they decided to showcase. :)

Flexibility

A couple showcase images from my recent-ish shoot with Italian Kitten. Despite being on crutches with some damage to her knee, plus the icy weather, she made it to the shoot, and made it look easy. Looking forward to going again soon when her knee is back to 100%. A really fun model with serious skills... look for more soon!

Undone

Here are a couple more shots of Iris from our recent Collingwood shoot. She'd had her hair "up" for the Dirty Show party the night before, as seen in the top photo. A little ways into the shoot, she took her hair down without having any way to style it, apart from just running her fingers thru it. I think it lends a bit of a realistic touch to the bottom shot. Iris herself mentioned a couple times how important she thought hair was to a final image, and I have to agree with her. Need to start playing with that more for future shoots.
Top shot: Showcase on OMP. Thanks also to Boyd for being a gracious host, as always.

Quick update...

Very fun weekend... haven't had a chance to edit any of the images just yet, but there's some very nice stuff in there. :)

Here are a couple more recent shots, Byby26 (top) and Bri (with flames) that I like quite a bit... both Showcased on OMP. Woot!

Hot Hot Heat

Bri takes hotness to a whole new level here... don't try this at home, she's a trained fire artist. But even without the fire act, she's still teh hotness.

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.)

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.

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.

Behind the times...

Quickly, another goodie from the shoot with Rebecca... this one showcased on her OMP portfolio.