by photoanthems | Jun 11, 2012 | Blog
“Winning isn’t everything, but it beats anything in second place.”
– William C. Bryant
Contest results are finally in for the Black and White Spider Awards, a very popular international photography contest for black and white photographic artwork. After a six month wait, I found out that I took 2nd place (Merit of Excellence Award) in the Abstract Category for Professionals. I also took Honorable Mention in the Nude Category for Professionals. This is my second time in a row coming in second in a category, but I did better this time in the Nude category. If you recall, last November I posted the announcement of a 2nd Place finish as well as 2 Nonimee spots, one of which was in the Nude Category. That was for the 5th Annual Photography Masters Cup (for Color Photography) produced by the same people. So again, a 2nd place finish (Americana Category), a Nominee for Nudes and also a Nominee again for the Americana Category.
I can’t say I’m disappointed, but I’ve also never been exuberant about 2nd place. The one thing I will concede is getting Honorable Mentioned for my nude work which is one step up from Nominee! If you take a look at all the work that got nominated, you’ll see that therein lies some stiff competition. So to be recognized at all is “honorable”. The nude is by far my main, favorite, and most passionable subject matter to photograph. If I were to win anywhere, I’d want to win for my nude work. Yet still, I’ve never looked at my work in that regard as being incredibly worthy of note. As long as I like it and my model likes it, I’m good to go. Being recognized and evaluated by such esteemed professionals of the trade against participants from all over the world was never anything I every really thought I’d measure up against.
“The first man gets the oyster, the second man gets the shell.”
– Andrew Carnegie
But also, I think you have to consider what you actually get from photo competitions with your entries. Both the Spider Awards and the Photography Masters Cup are huge and the recognition is fabulous. But what are the spoils of such achievements? There were over 83,000 entries in the Photography Master’s Cup last year and the entry fees are $35 a pop. Granted that costs decreases if you enter more images, but when you consider how much money is made…wow. You’re looking at more than $2 million just in entry fees if you average $25 per image. So here is what I get:
2ND PLACE WINNERS (Merit of Excellence)
Recipient of the title award “Merit of Excellence”
Publication in The PHOTO PAPER Magazine (print edition)
Featured in movie presented by World Photographic Arts Films
Showcased at the online Winners Gallery
International press campaign and exposure
Right now, bragging rights is the main take-home from something like this. The only other pay-off might come in the form of some lucrative deal made as of a result of being published in the magazine honoring the winners. So I’ll have to let you know if someone comes a’calling, as of a result of seeing one of my shots in the magazine. As far as I know, a title award doesn’t come with a cash prize or a new camera. It does feel good to be recognized for one’s work. And I thank Joanie for the use of her boobs to create something masterful for my Abstract image. I guess when you actually think about it, I did get a 2nd place finish for a nude! And I appreciate the Dean Koontz reader in the second shot (who has chosen to remain anonymous) for her help as well.
by photoanthems | May 25, 2012 | Blog
“The first condition of understanding a foreign country is to smell it.”
– Rudyard Kipling
Despite the fact that I got a late start for the year, all still looks promising. Getting back in the mix after being laid up from 5 months of recovery from knee surgery sure has felt good. I still have a long ways to go, there’s no doubt about that. At least I’m busy. Almost too busy, in fact. May has been absolutely crazy as far as months go. Its been hard to even think straight, but I’ve hung in there quite well. I’m just now getting some breathing room and tightening up my head-space and timing. Holla if you know what that is…
This late start has yet to impede my adamant plans to do some traveling for a while in Central America this summer. Yeah, this kid is heading out for a while. How long? I don’t know yet, but at least clock me out for a month. You get to do an awful lot of thinking when you’re restricted to the bed for so long. And I’ve decided to do some things a little differently for a while. It starts with Guatemala. I’ll mosey around Honduras, and finish up in Belize. Did I say finish? Well, I’ll be back temporarily in the states, but folks my goal is to hit the road for a while. How long is a while? Who knows. I can’t say. Hell, I can’t even say how I’m going to make all this happen. Let’s just say that it needs to be done and leave it at that. I’ll work out the details later. As for now, the concentration is on Guatemala. This is happening.
What exactly will I be doing? Following a crazy white girl around the jungle and taking pictures, in a nutshell. I can’t say I’m all that enthused about EVERYTHING in her itinerary. Home-girl is talking about swimming with sharks. Now I know that I can’t have the same imagination in my head to match up with hers. The girl’s crazy, but she’s not stupid. This is what’s in >>MY HEAD<<. And this is more than likely what’s in >>HER HEAD<<. I’m hoping she’s the one who’s right in this. Of the entire trip, these thought are most prevalent. But I’m sure when I get back, I’ll have pics and stories of a great time having grand adventures. I’ve still got to do a better job of learning video on my cameras. I’ll be getting an external mike for better audio, that’s for sure, but I don’t need much else that I don’t already have. I’ll be making a documentary on this excursion and I think it’ll be fun. Totally experimental, but fun.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”
– Mark Twain
If everything goes right, I’ll be starting up a new blog that deals primarily with travel and will detail my adventures as I go globetrotting. I’m excited about what’s ahead and if I do it right, well…lets just say this is going to be fun and a definite adventure. Can’t wait to get the travel blog up and running with lots of content for your guys. You’re going to love it!
Here are some newly edited shots of Art Model Viki Vegas, from last summer.
“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.”
– Mark Jenkins
by photoanthems | May 13, 2012 | Blog
Talk about letting the month slip in on me unannounced! Its already May and mid-way through already. Its been cool getting back in the mix of things. The knee is holding up, but still fragile. In other words, I can’t think I’m all better and do something stupid. I started physical therapy last week. On day two, I figured I was good enough to add to my load, so I doubled everything they told me to do and in some cases, even more. That was strike one of being stupid. By that evening I hurt so bad, I felt like the first day of two-a-days in high school. That was a reference to the 2 times a day football practice during the summer, just before school started. Once in the morning and then again in the late afternoon to try to avoid some of that Texas summer heat. But anyway, I’m still trying to mend and get used to building muscle again. Its actually an interesting thing to behold for me. As hard as I can flex, I’m just not hitting rock hardness and its funny to watch my quads quiver in response to the exercises.
But what was also another slippage is the fact that I totally missed out on telling you that Mercy is coming back to town! She’ll be here a few days from the 14th (yeah, tomorrow…I know) until the 16th, this Wednesday. You saw the work I did with her in my book, A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011. I made her my cover model. And you know what she’s capable of and what she’s willing to do. Despite the late notice, I say you get in on the act and get your shoot on. She’s only here for a few days, but its still a good time and enough time for you to get in some great work with a great model. My bathroom series could have hardly been pulled off with another model. When I suggested it, she was down with hardly a thought and was in on it before I could finalize all my thoughts.
So you basically have 3 days in which to make something happen. I say 3 days, but you also have to understand, her time is limited and filling up quick. She does her own promo work and of course she’s coming here for a reason. So its not like she’s got 72 hours of nothingness lined up. People have already taken advantage and booked her hour by hour. What I’m trying to tell YOU is that you don’t need to spend a whole lot of time with finding the time in your calendar or where she might budget in on your bank account. This is one of those moments where you contact her, find out her availability and simply book it. Take whatever you can get, make that moment happen, and be proud of what you guys put together. I know she’s giving her best and she’s here. Make it happen. She even takes credit cards now…
by photoanthems | Apr 26, 2012 | Blog
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| Beach in Destin, FL © 2012 Terrell Neasley |
It’s a slow start, but a good one. I’ve been getting to squeeze off a few rounds on the shutter and have some fun. Hope to do my first nude project in a long while this weekend. This is sort of a “go for it” kind of weekend where spontaneity is in full effect. It should be fun. That’s the main thing that matters.
Gotta say first,
I’M LOVING THE NEW WEBSITE! CHECK OUT MY NEW SITE AT
I THINK YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE IT TOO!
I’m hoping May will be my official start of the new year. I’ll still be doing rehab for my knee, but other than that, I’m on my feet. I presently have a pretty nice head cold and sound like a monster, but I think that’s just from the weather change and all the pollen in the air. May 1st, is my starting line and I’ve got to run it faster in order to catch up with the rest of you guys who are already 5 months head. Summer travel plans are still a go. Not certain about my Fall endeavors just yet. I may delay that notion for a while in order to better prep for traveling in 2013. More details on that soon, but suffice to say…Fun!
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| Husband and Wife, Sandestin Beach, FL © 2012 Terrell Neasley |
Writing has become more important. Keeping regularly updated blog can be tasking enough, but I intend to do more writing in different venues. One of which will be for Image702 Magazine doing regular spots on a myriad of topics. I hope to be freelancing my butt off for a while. And to help me prepare for it, I’m thinking about enrolling in some online writing courses I’ve been considering. I’m already taking courses to beef up my Photoshop skills as a photographer. Writing will be next on the agenda.
Well, this will be a short post. I need to go lay down for a bit so I’m ready for the weekend endeavors. In the meantime, enjoy these shots from recent travels.
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| Pier off the Gulf Coast, © 2012 Terrell Neasley |
by photoanthems | Apr 10, 2012 | Blog
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| Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO |
There’s no doubt this has been the most odd start of the year to date. I don’t think I’ve spent this much time in bed since I was a little baby. I’ve been very careful with taking care of my knee, resting my body, and healing. But dang! Just as I was about ready to announce “I”M BACK!”, I get food poisoning all of last week. This was such a weird experience. I’ve never been down that road before and hope to GOD, I never do. It crept up on my very slowly, but quickly…maybe analogous to sheep approaching you calmly and innocently only to burst out as wolves when they got in arms reach. I couldn’t run. There was no escape. No amount of Pebto, crackers & Sprite, or any anti-whatever was going to save me from the onslaught once I recognized what it was. I didn’t think it was going any further than an upset stomach. It wasn’t until my mouth started watering and the stomach started some serious rumbling that I knew “Sh*t just got real”.
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| Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO
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So I’m just now getting over all that. “I’m Back”. (Not all caps… a little muted, but nonetheless…) I’m ready to shoot. I’m ready to get outside and do some things. I can’t hit the hard trails. I can’t walk the distances, yet. But I can stand on my own two feet and get from point A to B slowly, but surely. I can’t tell you how anxious I am to get some exposures under my belt and be backed up with new and profitable edits. I’m looking for my next art nude model as well as some of my business projects.
Now let me get back to the original topic I wanted to talk about. I’ve done recent talk about the portrait, to include capturing the self-portrait. I also want to give a mention to what I think is arguably the most important aspect of the photographic process… THE PRINT. This is just my humble opinion, but this is the final product and the end all of why we take a picture. Its the Print! To some aspect, you might be able to dissolve it down a bit and say the Picture is the final product, more so or just as much as the Print. However this is the difference. Today, many people will only use their pics for Facebook, Flikr, or some other online forum. And that’s fine. Its just where we are today. Social media is the new tool of today and pictures are a major part of it. It cannot be denied. Hardly any of these need to be made into hard copies. They are shared in a more versatile medium and when hard prints are actually made, they are rarely sized about a 4×6 to hang up on the fridge or maybe the computer monitor. Or let me not also forget the novelty prints like on a coffee cup or key chain.
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| Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO
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So while these points have their merit, I’m going to stay on the high road and concentrate my efforts to those shots that will hang on museum walls. I’ve said before, I consider myself as an artist first. I want to make art. Art shared should be on walls, not desktops. I want my work hung up in that important place in your home or office lobby and I want it shown in large format. I can’t even tell you when the last time I had an 8×10 print made, even for my own personal work. I consider the 11×14 a small print and the smallest I’ll do. But it doesn’t have to be hung up on the walls. A print in a magazine will also suffice. This is why we do this. We don’t do a gig just to give away a CD of all the images and let the client make prints as they see fit. I can tell you I want to be in control of what quality of work my art is displayed in.
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| Early work with Mary, Black Canyon, CO
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This is the exact reason, I didn’t allow my recent book, “
A Year in Review of the Nude: 2011” to be printed in any other format other than the best of quality of paper. Will all my books be in this format? No. My next one will be way different, probably at less than half that price, more than likely. For now, I plan to only do my annual books like that. The next one I have coming out will be less so. I would like to do maybe three or four books a year and only one will be at the price point of my art nude annual. And books are a great use of the printed image. The single print is still tops. There’s simply no comparison to a good quality, well presented print. Its got to be framed or hung in such a manner that the print is adorned. Much of my focus this year will be on perfecting my presentation on the print and I’m happy with what I’ve been able to accomplish so far. Now I want to push the envelope a little and reach beyond just the simply framed canvas print. That’s the goal.
And another of my goals is to get back to Colorado and to shoot Mary again. This particular trip was definitely a benchmark in my life as a photographer. The PRINTS from this shoot are much, much better than these digital scans. The prints were done by hand and a darkroom and I can tell you hours upon hours were spent perfecting each one. I loved it. Every minute was a learning experience. I’d like to get back to shoot some of the models I worked with early in my nude days and Mary ranks among the top priorities. I’d like to see what I can do with her today, six years after our first shoot. More experience and better equipment should result in even better art. I almost got to work with her again last Summer, but I got called back the same day I arrived in Colorado and unfortunately didn’t get to shoot. Gotta try again.
by photoanthems | Apr 2, 2012 | Blog
The whole idea of a self-portrait is strange. I’m so strongly linked to how I see through the camera that to get to the other side of it would be difficult. It would be as if I were taking a photograph in the dark.
– Annie Leibovitz
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Maybe I’ve worked the Self-Portrait
more than I had initially thought |
Methinks it is time to vary up what I shoot for a bit. I believe I will have 3 unique concentrations throughout this year that I will use to challenge myself and explore my creativity in unfamiliar settings using the camera. For starters, I’ve always been uncomfortable with self-portraits. Ever since I became serious with photography, I’ve rarely ever aimed my lenses at myself, which is sort of odd. I’m not the kind to shy away from the camera. I was a pro model for 3 years during my undergraduate years. I was an art model getting nude for art students for about 12 years. So its not like I’m not used to being the center of attention. If anything, I think its the lack of control that comes with my inexperience in shooting myself. Its not so easy to point the camera inwards. For me, I miss the ability to “see” myself which makes me unable to work the elements that I normally do in order to create a composition that I believe works. This can make me become very impatient with myself and not revisit the project again. This image where I’m looking like a madman, came from a vision in my head reflecting feelings at the time, but it took me an abnormal amount of time to compose and get that “just right” feel to it.
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| © 2010 Terrell Neasley |
When I get ready to take a shot of a model, I see everything. I don’t just look at the model. I see all the surrounding elements and consider how the model integrates with the background, props, and environment. I compose based on what I see and may spot focus on a specific area within that composition. Well, I can’t see myself when shooting myself and although I see many photogs excel at this skill, the talent currently eludes me. So instead of ignoring this genre any longer, I’ll take it on and see how close I can get to mastering it. I would imagine it will stimulate creativity after you shoot yourself a few times, otherwise you’ll quickly get bored. I don’t necessarily have to be nude to do this. I’ve tried that before, as you can see below, and hated it. The results where unsatisfactory and it didn’t have the same flair and signature style as when I do my regular nudes. And yes, I’ve shot guys before that I have been satisfied with. I’ve said I’ll revisit that venture again, but I’ve ignored that option for now. I did
a post a while back whereby I suggested every photographer who shoots nudes needs to do this at least once.
Unbearable Lightness then suggested I post the images I had done, and I did. So I’ll add that back in at some point, but the goal is to work creative aspects of the “capture of self” in various ways and master this skill.
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A first attempt at the self-nude.
Hadn’t tried it since. |
A couple of other areas I think I’ll pay more attention to is motion, low-light, and time-exposure photography. I don’t get to do these as much, but I have a strong interest in it. I can actually combine all 3 of those doing a moving subject, at night using long shutters. Should be interesting and I’m definitely looking forward to it. Every so often, you need to get out of your comfort zone and shake things up a little. I can even try this out on myself and thus add in self portraits done, while moving around at night using extended shutter speeds. Regardless, it’ll be good to just play. I hear of photographers saying all the time that they wish they could work on personal projects. That should be the priority. While I want to always earn a living from photowork, I never want to make it into a job. I don’t take on assignments that I don’t honestly want to do. There has to be an element of fun, challenge, or benefit just a regular assignment. You have to pay me a lot of money to make me shoot something I don’t really want to shoot. I want to be successful as a professional photographer. I want to earn a really good living at it. But I don’t want to chase the dollars at any cost. I’m not interested in forfeiting my love for photos for my need to make money.
I’ve always cared more about taking pictures than about the art market. – Annie Leibovitz
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| © 2010 Terrell Neasley |
I’ll throw in large scale panoramas as well, since I have a
Gigapan that I haven’t put to great use just yet. I can also add to that better artistic use of my
24mm Tilt/Shift lens. Those are probably the only two pieces of equipment that I have that I have not put hard to work. I’ve used them, but I haven’t pushed their abilities. I haven’t tapped their potential and integrated them into my workflow yet and I need to change that. Otherwise, why have them? The Gigapan system is a robotic camera mount that you sit onto a tripod. It can be programmed use your camera to take pics, one frame at a time over a selected area and then you stitch those images together for a high-resolution pano. The tilt/shift lens was originally designed for architecture use. It allows you to correct for the distortion of lines that may converge due to the shape of the lens. If you’ve ever tried to take a picture of a tall building, you realize you need a wide-angle lens to get it all in one frame, but then the edges of the building look as if they curve or lean backwards. With a T/S lens you can correct this by adjusting knobs on the lens that will move the front element of the lens left or right as well as upward or downward as necessary. A more popular use is capturing wide-area busy scenes that, because of the selective focus,
they look like miniatures.These are the same functions you get with a large format view camera. A view camera is what you see that looks like an accordion and a person gets under a sheet behind the camera.
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Last office job, State Treasurer’s Office.
See? I clean up nice! |
And then of course, I still have my continued nudes throughout the year. I’ll always be doing that, especially now since I’ve elected to regularly do an annual for all the models I shoot. I’m getting better on my feet now, so I expect I’ll get to do a shoot toward the end of the month. I have a project in mind already, but it will take more strength in my leg before I undertake it. I’m still not able to extend my knee out all the way and its still quite painful when I try to do so and stand on it. But I’m getting there. There is definitely measured progress, but I have to keep things light for the time being. You can even see a tad bit more muscle tone in my thigh muscle. Patience…
by photoanthems | Mar 27, 2012 | Blog
You need haters to make you stronger…without haters most people wouldn’t try to become better.
~ Katt Williams
It would seem as if every time I sit down to do a blog post, the first thing on my mind to write about has something to do with patience. I’m still learning to sit still, but I’m feeling better and all the more anxious to get out and do something. Before, it was simply a dream to be able to put the crutches down and walk unassisted. Last week was my first week without crutches. I went to the theater to see why the Edgar Rice Burroughs screen adaption of “John Carter” bombed at the box office. It had been such a large production and heavily promoted, but did not live up to expectations. As fan of Burroughs, I rather enjoyed the movie, but I must confess to leaving the theater under new temptations. You see, in the film, John Carter is transported to Mars and along with superhuman strength, the lighter gravity enabled him to jump great distances. All I could dream about for the rest of the day was running and jumping. I know, I sound like a little kid, right?
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| Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley |
Something else I’ve been contemplating is moving the blog to WordPress. Blogger has been ticking me off something fierce over the years and I’m not sure why I’ve still been loyal to it. It was maybe 3 years ago that I first considered it, but have resisted making the move. Partly because it means moving the blog URL all over again and having to reestablish all my links, but I think I’m ready to do it. Blogging has definitely evolved and I know there is a particular look I want. Blogger simply hasn’t given me what I want and I’m adamant about having that look and feel that I envision. So sooner or later, this blog will have a new look, style, and feel. On top of that, I’ve even got in mind a project for an all new blog! So get ready for that!
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| Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley |
So all in all, I’m getting off to a late start. I’m 3 months behind right now. I’ve had huge expectations for this year and have been optimistic about my prospects. I’m still excited about whats ahead and view my opportunities as not only challenges to overcome, but challenges to enjoy. Sometimes you need a Goliath in your way to remind you of what you are capable of as well as to expand those abilities. There are definitely challenges that simply come with living life, but I’ve also created challenges for myself that might seem otherwise insurmountable. Sometimes you gotta burn that net before you walk that rope. If anything, it’ll make for a good story no matter what happens. I maintain a “Watch Me!” attitude and have every intention of matching will power to every single opposing element that may face me. Its time to make some changes and to be about what I’m supposed to be.
If you have someone hating on you right now you better think of how to get five more people hating by Christmas.
~ Katt Williams.
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| Nude Model, Mercy © 2011 Terrell Neasley |
So many people have aversions to both change and challenges. I don’t really know why that is and have a difficult time to relate. Change is the only constant in life or even the universe for that matter. Nothing stays the same. Being flexible and adaptable is key. Maybe I learned that in the military. “Adapt and Overcome!” was often the mantra to success. As in military tactics, there are no rules in life and its not uncommon to find yourself facing overwhelming odds. But odds are just that…ODDS. It represents a probability of success given certain parameters, but even when the odds are not in your favor, by definition there is still a chance. Odds represent a one in a certain amount of chances that you can succeed. I’ve learned to take that “one” and run with it. If you have one chance to do something, you simply make it count. There is no such thing as a no-win situation. There is always a way to derive a positive outcome. There is much power in the will of a person who has resolved to win, achieve, overcome, survive, and ultimately thrive. Every since my teen-age years, I’ve actually enjoyed it when someone tells me I can’t do something. So keep telling me its impossible. Tell me again how it simply can’t be done. Let me hear again how impractical and improbable my ideas are. I need to hear that sometimes. Katt Williams talked about having naysayers and haters are good and that you should strive to get more. I do believe that. I aspire to have more haters. I’ve collected some already over the last year. So maybe I should put out an ad on Craigslist: HATERS WANTED…
by photoanthems | Mar 17, 2012 | Blog
I’m getting there!
Everything is still on hold for a little bit longer, but the knee is getting better. I still have to use crutches for a few more weeks, but I’m able to balance and put weight on my left leg more than usual. I’m not having to keep it suspended off the ground as I walk. It still sucks that I haven’t been able to get back to shooting. I think a good nude project is the first thing I want to do when I can hold a camera and move around a subject again. I want to go model hunting right now, but I can’t say as to when I can actually do the shoot. I’ve had to change my Model Mayhem page twice to reflect a longer recovery time than anticipated. But that’s okay, I’ll manage.
Its been the microfracture procedure that has taken so long with the recovery. Microfracture alone takes a while, but instead of the 3 to 5 holes the surgeon had planned on, it ended up being TWENTY! (Yeah, that’s what I said too.) I didn’t know he had done that much off-shore style drilling in my knee until a few weeks afterwards during my post-op appointment. He told me there was more damage than what had showed up in the MRI and X-rays. So that led to more clean-up, more holes, and more recovery time. To give you an idea, this is the same surgery Greg Odom, once number 1 overall draft pick of the Portland Trailblazers had multiple times on both knees. Granted it hadn’t been so successful on him. However Jason Kidd and John Stockton have also had this surgery done and you see the longevity they’ve enjoyed in basketball. Overall, I’m looking at about 4 to 6 months for recovery. I’ve yet to begin my 6-8 week rehab time.
On Microfracture surgery recovery:
The harder part is the restrictions that are placed on the patient during the post-operative recovery period. This can be a major challenge for many patients. For optimal re-growth of joint surface, the patients need to be very patient and also extremely cooperative. They usually need to be on crutches for four to six weeks (sometimes longer). – Wikipedia
I’ll just be glad to get back out on the trails again and I need to get back to shooting. I’m not making any money hanging around my house all day everyday. I thought I’d be spending all this time reading and doing tutorials, but that hasn’t been so easy. Its tougher to read in my house, I think. And even moreso when all you think about is getting outside. I miss hiking. The days have been beautiful. I can see the mountains from my back patio. Yet, I am stuck inside my apartment. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m not totally fixed in here, but I only go someplace when I absolutely have to. If there isn’t any place I NEED to be, then I pretty much stay home. Its been exasperating. Patience has never been in my quiver of virtues. I’ve at least been Tweeting more than I usually do. Mostly about travel and entrepreneurship.
Wednesday was my first time trying to leave the house without my crutches. Overall, I did fairly well, but its different from just walking around the house like that. I got to meet up with good friend Karl Sutphin (his new website!), who was in for the week from San Fran. We hung out at my place and then got some dinner at Famous Dave’s. We had just stepped into the place when I stumbled and let slip and expletive, because of the pain. It was fairly embarrassing in that it occurred right next to a couple who were enjoying their dinner. I had to grab onto the back of their booth to regain my balance. I think my face was even more contorted trying NOT to wince from the pain, than had I not been trying to control it. I took a second (or maybe a minute) to regain my composure and was led to the booth where our hostess seated us. After that, it was a good evening. I had been to Famous Dave’s often but had never had their burgers. It was pretty darn good.
I’m due to start rehab sometime at the end of the month or first week in April. I think I’ll stick to that schedule instead of trying to be too quick as I had recently planned. I’ll heed the doctor’s advice and wait. I guess it will make it all the more sweeter if I wait. I think my ex-wife said the same thing before we were married. Not so sure how sweet it was. I think that’s when I’m most prone to re-injure after having waited so friggin’ long!
by photoanthems | Mar 7, 2012 | Blog
“A portrait! What could be more simple and more complex, more obvious and more profound.”
– Charles Baudelaire, 1859
Life…
This is the single most important element of photography that I absolutely have to photograph. Its the summation and hub of every element or aspect of photo that I endeavor to shoot. And if you drill down from there in order of importance for me, then next is the nude and then the portrait takes the tertiary role. Everything else that I do are either in supplement or complimentary to those three primary focuses for me. Life in general is what I endeavor to capture and in its purest form, the nude represents my favorite aspect of that, but the portraiture of my model is the deepest connection I have with the nude and is probably the most powerful aspect of anything I do.
Does that make any sense? I do some interior/architecture photography. Its still a representation of life, as in someone’s expression of life as they see it for either a functional or aesthetic purpose. I photograph events and occasions which are moments of life taking place. I do still-life photography for my fine art work. This is evidence of life that it has existed and left its mark. I have photographed death which is the culmination of life or rather the conclusion of one aspect of it. I photograph life and death along with everything in between, as most every photographer does, I guess, to some degree. And like many, I do have my specialties. I will shoot almost anything and add my particular style of interpretation to it, but my primary focus in life is the nude and the portrait.
The interesting thing about the portrait is that it does not need to be nude. In some cases, the difference is not obvious and then sometimes it is. Whether a close up or the bust, the portrait still remains the most powerful aspect of photography, I believe. It is powerful because its limits are boundless. A good portraiture does not have to have pleasant features to be impactful. Exposure does not have to be correct, nor does even the focus. Sometimes, in the same way interesting ruins or abandoned buildings can be appealing, rough facial features can also draw the attention. However the portrait has one other distinguishing component that no other genre of photography captures and that’s the connection that any human being can have with the subject by peering into the eyes. Even in some cases where the viewer cannot see the eyes of the subject, there can still be an implied connection between the mind of the viewer and that of the subject. You might wonder where the subject has come from, what they feel, or how they came to be. There is a voluntary transference that takes place which can draw in the viewer unlike no other depiction of any image.
“Who sees the human face correctly: the photographer, the mirror, or the painter?”
– Pablo Picasso
Mesmerizing, hypnotic, and even intoxicating can be terms ascribed to portraitures that are done well. This is why I love them above landscapes. I was looking through some of my images from my hiking expeditions over the last few years I’ve been in Las Vegas. I will go with people from the meetup groups I belong to or with close friends of mine. Ofttimes, I will go alone. However when I do go with people whom I may know or not, its funny how I’m one of the few photographers who will return from these trips with almost solely portraits and hardly any landscape. I was recently asked to licence a photo of Big Falls, a major natural landmark at Mt. Charleston, here in Nevada for a local publication. I’ve been up there several times, but had to look hard to find a good shot. Then when I found one, it wasn’t anything that I had initially edited. Pretty much everything was of faces. Faces along the way. Faces with the falls. And faces along the return trip. Its the human condition that I shoot, although that may be a term quite overused. Most of my portraits are not posed, but rather candid shots in the moment where the subject may or may not know I’m taking the shot.
Heads. Faces. Some people are more interesting than others and for me, that starts often with the hair and then the eyes. Hair will often get my attention, but the eyes will draw me in and then I think to myself that I need that person’s head. I tend to like faces that seem to tell a story or which may make me what to know about this person. Its interesting on the things that draw me to one person over another, because this is how I see the world. I am constantly looking at people. Its like a radar. I can pass through a crowd and there might be only a few faces that bleep in my range of scope. Some ping quite strongly with me. Others may ping less strongly, but my desire to photograph their portrait is no less as strong. What can I say? I like faces.
“Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.”
– Oscar Wilde
by photoanthems | Mar 1, 2012 | Blog
I write about a lot of things on this blog. Sometimes I write about current situations I find myself in, or bits of interesting information that might prove relevant to my readers. In a nutshell, this blog is representative of inspiring and informative aspects related to photography and modeling and how it all impacts or relates to me. Well, I just found out yesterday from a Facebook posting by friend and fellow mentor, Dave Levingston that one of the transcendent art models has recently passed away… Eleanor Callahan.
“I never complained, whatever I was doing. If he said: ‘Come quick, Eleanor — there’s a good light,’ I was right there.”
It can be difficult to understand who Eleanor Callahan was without talking about her husband of 63 years, Harry Callahan. And if you don’t know Harry Callahan, the photographer, you mind will probably go to Clint Eastwood’s character of the same name. Don’t do that. Harry Callahan is one of the consummate Masters of Photography pioneers mentioned in the same breath as Edward Weston or Alfred Stieglitz. Harry passed away in 1999, but for much of his career he photographed what was around him. He was the opposite of Weston who explored the western United States. Callahan is better known for walking the streets of his hometown, but the majority of his inspiration came from shooting his wife, Eleanor. She posed for him anywhere and everywhere. In fact, she is best known as the Model Who Never Said No and she’ll tell you just that. If Harry called for her on the spot, she came running shedding her clothes as she went.
It might be just a simple way the light was falling on something outside. She’d sit for him and then go back to doing whatever it was that she was doing. She was photographed while she slept, when she was pregnant, outdoors, indoors…it simply did not make a difference. I do not believe Edward Weston would have amounted to as big of an innovative photographer as he was without Charis Wilson. In the same way, I do not think Harry Callahan would have amounted to the influential photographer he became without Eleanor. She was a willing subject in hundreds of his images.
“He just liked to take the pictures of me,” she told an interviewer in 2008. “In every pose. Rain or shine. And whatever I was doing. If I was doing the dishes or if I was half asleep. And he knew that I never, never said no. I was always there for him. Because I knew that Harry would only do the right thing.”
I mean… think about it for a second. Can you imagine of Eleanor was a mean-spirited or stifling wife who balked at the notion of being photographed nude? Harry would have found another subject, possibly but it would not have been the same. He would not have been able to call on another model at a moment’s notice and thus miss much of the fleeting inspirational moments that could so quickly captivate his imagination. There would have been no since of intimate connection from such a familiar perspective that we tend to take for granted in his images. One of my favorite images of his is a shot of Eleanor lying on her side with her back to us while 3-year old daughter Barbara is silhouetted standing on the bedroom windowsill. You couldn’t have that shot with a model you pay to come by every now and again. If Eleanor was not the person she was, Harry would have walked by that room, saw the scene, and walked off to his refrigerator to get a beer and brood in front of the TV. But because she allowed him to fully explore his photography, his creativity, and to experiment with various concepts, he was able to achieve the greatness that we know of today. Harry would photography different landscapes and double-expose it with an image of Eleanor. Some say its because he saw her in everything he looked at.
So as is were, I’ve been a fan of liberating wife/models like this since I started doing nudes. Harry shot her both clothed and unclothed. Some of his most noteworthy work is of Eleanor and Barbara in the park. Interestingly enough, both Eleanor and Charis Wilson, survived their husbands and both died at age 95. So that proves a theory I’ve been working on. Women who model for their husbands live longer! It was also quite the coincidence that only 15 minutes before I saw DaveL‘s post, I was reading about Eleanor in the book, “The Model Wife“, by Arthur Ollman, which I will get into in another post. I also just ordered (while in the middle of this post, no less) “Eleanor“, by Jullian Cox.
