Monday, March 26, 2012

Captain Lazarus...


Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are all doing well out there. Things here are busy as usual! To start, as promised, I have some new work out today. I finally finished the Red Army series with the shot below. This series took about 4 months to complete between finding models who fit into the clothing and finding the clothing itself. The series depicts "the real power behind the man" in a subtle way, and then the final image sort of adds a twist to the series (and also because I couldn't find a man to fit into that tunic...hahaha). Fun stuff, huh?

The shot I am most excited about this week though, is Captain Lazarus! I've had this idea in my head for awhile and when my friend Alan (and his glorious mutton chops) agreed to model, I knew it was going to be good. I tried some new techniques with this one to give the piece a whimsical, almost cartoonish look. It's listed in my shop for purchase as well. What do you think?


And speaking of the studio (not that we were), going through the lobby of the Mill the other day, I noticed they finally put up a nice professional looking directory for all the businesses and mine was up there with the rest! (And they even spelled it correctly...) I guess that makes it official, you guys.


I took a rare day off over the weekend to just drive around and enjoy the beautiful (but somewhat chilly) weather. We ended up going all the way out to Land's End via a winding and twisty road right near the water. What a beautiful area up there, sort of the quintessential Maine town you would picture. I got this shot of the fishing boats in the harbor and we also spotted a fox just about to run into the woods which I managed to capture mid-leap. But the best part of the day, was a trip to Fat Boys, a local drive-in restaurant that just opened for the season! Their frappes are delicious. I got vanilla.

Love that pink sunset, don't you?
I love those old, corrugated roof pieces with the teal and white. The sun looks great shining through them.
Those two seagulls on top were my favorite part of that sign.
Mmm fries. Love the old linoleum tables.
Oh, and I finally got a chance to see Drive over the weekend. Have you seen it? It's sort of an action/gangster drama starring Ryan Gosling (who most women find totally dreamy). I loved the cinematography and the soundtrack and the way that both built the tension throughout the entire thing. I also loved Ryan's jacket and the car chase sequences. Unlike most car chases, where you can't even tell what's going on, this movie really kept things calm instead, so you're actually more tense watching things unfold. Very strange, but good. I'd give it 5 out of 5 corncobs.

I want that jacket.

Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Monday, March 19, 2012

Two Boys & Two Girls

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are doing well out there. Things here are busy as usual! To start, as promised, I have finally finished my top secret project that I showed you all candids of last week! As my artist statement below says, this Don't Ask, Don't Tell repeal project was near and dear to my heart. I wanted to make some strong visual statements to commemorate the landmark DADT repeal that contained all of the emotion and the passion of Alfred Eisenstaedt's original candid photo. When you compare them all together, I think we pulled it off! Thank you to all of the people and models involved, it was a fantastic time.


Some exciting news! My Sword Swallower print was chosen by Society6 to be sold in their official shop. That's the second photo of mine that they've chosen and given the level of talent on that site, I am again, very flattered!


I am furiously editing some new work for the post next week and I think you will enjoy those. Until then, there is this shot, which I took just for fun and I'm really in love with it. (It's my Sweetie acting like a monkey for some reason... hahaha.)


Oh! I have found a wonderful photographer whose work I want to share with you. Heather Evans Smith is a fine art and conceptual photographer like myself and I absolutely adore her work. The light in her pieces and the unique concepts she executes as well as the vintage twists? Amazing. One of my new idols over here you guys.


And I'd like to wrap up with an amazing project I stumbled across the other day on one of my favorite blogs: She Walks Softly. The images below are of a "Book Tank." Built by Raul Lemesoff (who converted a 1979 Ford Falcon into an open-air tank bookmobile), the book tank drives around Buenos Aires offering books to anyone who's interested. He calls it his "Weapon of Mass Instruction." Amazing. Simply, amazing.



Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Salty Sailors, Red Armies & Sea Captains

Hello Lovelies~

I hope you are all doing well out there this week. Things here are busy as usual and I have so much to share! To start, I shot a very important piece this past weekend that I think could become a pretty big deal. It's not quite done yet, but I have some great candids from the shoot that I can share. Here are a few, and you can see the rest over at Flickr.

The lighting on this shot and the faces remind me of a V. C. Andrews novel cover, like Flowers in the Attic... of the U.S.S. New Jersey. Hahaha.
The coloring and light on this look straight out of LIFE Magazine circa 1942, don't they?
I was going for a Westside Story meets South Pacific vibe here. I think I nailed it.
I will also be wrapping up a couple of projects this coming weekend that I've shared bits and pieces of in past posts. Remember this series? I will be shooting the fourth and final piece in my Red Army series this weekend.


I will also, finally be shooting my sea captain... the one wearing this glamorous eye patch. (The model saw this and said "I'll be a pretty captain," I said... "pretty much." Hahaha.) I glam everything up, even the boys. Thankfully, they're getting used to it.


So, many fun things to anticipate, my Lovelies. Meanwhile, speaking of fun things, have you heard of Lab Partners? It is the brainchild of a husband and wife art and design team out of San Francisco. Their illustration is reminiscent of styles from the 50's and 60's and I adore it. Textured and spare with enough detail to make the work really shine, and those colors? Amazing. Take a look and check out their store too!



I also found a wonderful little series by an artist named Lorenzo Cappelli. He has created a series of old fake movie title screens that look like the real thing, were it not for the fact that they're for contemporary films. Such great work. (I wish I had the ability to create such drama using only black and white.)


And I have finally gotten in to see The Artist! All I have to say is 'wow.' That movie was beautiful and fascinating and spot-on from a period film perspective. One of my favorite eras captured in an amazing way. I watched it with my mouth agape the entire time. Plus, the plot was very sweet and simple and the dog? Wow. It deserved all of those awards, period. Period. Watch it if it's still in theaters near you...

Le Sigh...
 Until next time: unpleasant dreams...

Monday, March 5, 2012

Sea Captains & Fishing Boats

Hello Lovelies!

I hope you are all doing well out there. Things here have gone from busy, to super busy and it's great. Where to start? Oh, this is sort of funny. A good friend of mine who helps me a lot with shoots and costumes etc... asked me to make her a special T-shirt that she can wear on shoots and just in general. So, I did. Take a look, her words, not mine. (Several other people who help me like it so much they asked for one too...) Truer words have never been spoken, people really do sorta just do what I say during shoots. (I think that's why we all work together so well.) Hahaha! Too funny.


I have a really exciting shoot coming up this weekend that I can't really reveal anything about yet, so instead, I'll reveal some behind the scenes prep shots for a mini personal project I'm doing. It's going to be an amazing, artsy and humorous sea captain shoot. I can't wait to do this one.

This is the special octopus eye patch the model will be wearing.



I was inspired to do a patch like this by this shot of Salvador Dali, but of course, I will add my own twist for the shoot...


And, the background will consist of this great mod 1960's wallpaper that I found that has a somewhat impressionistic sea/boat them to it.


There is nothing more tedious than installing old, unpasted, paper wallpaper. Ugh. But it will look fine when I shoot it.


I can't wait to bring all of these elements together, standby for that!

I have found an amazing artist I wanted to share with you, Lovelies: Darion McCoy. Heard of him? Well, I find the juxtaposition of his pastel, Easter-esque color palette against the subject matter and the way he conveys it, deliciously unsettling. I don't know, something about those faces is creepy, don't you think?

And while we're on the topic of beautiful, creepy and unsettling, let me introduce another artist: Cristian Grossi. A fashion designer by trade, Cristian also has amazing artistic fashion designs that (I don't think) have never actually been made into clothing. Like his Insekta 2.5 collection. The lines and the delicate (yet sinister) faces mixed with bugs? And on his site, I believe some of them are gifs, because they move and glow and it's amazing. Check it out.

Let me wrap up with a blog recommendation: The Bold Italic. Beautifully laid out, interesting to read and full of funny anecdotes, this site focuses on things to see, do, eat and enjoy around the San Francisco Bay area. I don't even live there and I'm ready things that I find universally interesting and fun. I think every city should have such a good site to convey it's mysteries. Take a read and add it to your feed if you like it.


 Until next time: unpleasant dreams...