Last Shoot

My last shoot for 2011 was very special.

It had been 1 year, 10 months and 3 days since I last saw Mila, far, far, far too long to go without an adventure together! We had made attempts to get together sooner but one thing or another always seemed to keep it from happening ...until this past weekend!

While she was here visiting friends and family she graciously set aside a day for me. The weather cooperated and we were able to run out to the desert for a few hours, it was a beautiful day and being with her again was unbelievably amazing.

It is days like this I feel so very blessed and what an incredible way to end the year.

If I could, I would shoot her every day.

"You're suddenly seeing the coherence and the interconnectedness of everything, left to right, top to bottom, front to back. It's all connected, and, somehow, it's all in balance. And that's, of course, when you go, 'Yes!'." ~Henry Wessel

Sunday afternoon in Victorville

It was too cold to run out to the desert with night time temps in the 20's, so I met Pearl on Sunday afternoon and we just wandered in and around town for a bit.

These Days

We didn't spend too much time on 7th Street in Old Town, almost everything there is now closed and boarded up, it's so desolate it resembles a movie set. We also drove down Route 66 and failed in an attempt to get down to the creek from Oro Grande, had a brief conversation with a guy on a dirt bike looking for the same, then we stopped by a short row of trees in the sunlight before heading back to town.

Last night while looking over the images from this shoot I got this feeling of evolution, because regardless of how many photos I take of Pearl there is always something new in the very next one, not simply a new pose or new location, something more, something never seen before. 

Maybe it is the evolution of our vision more than a change in style or a deviation in our work, it is the story moving forward, time moves on and things change perhaps this is the photographic equivalent.

On Sunday Pearl told me she sometimes enjoys looking back at our earliest work and watching the progression from those first photo shoots and how the images have changed over time. I think each photo shoot has in some way helped to shape the next one, and so on in an ever evolving process of refining and seeking to explore and share that which we experience. 

I Tried To Call

What's going to happen in 2012 who knows, my hope is I can keep telling the stories, taking the photos and going on adventures, because there is still so much to say and we've barely scratched the surface, and besides, everything is possible.

Together

"The world is one huge canvas, find your location and expose your film passionately!" ~Steve Denby

Happy Holidays

Whatever your tradition, philosophy, belief or political persuasion, my best wishes to you and yours.

Merry Christmas

"Photography is a love affair with life." ~Burk Uzzle

David's Girls

2011 Was a very good year for my work, I received a bit of recognition, made some new friends, traveled all over southern California taking pictures and even revived some work in film.

But no one knows better than me I didn't do it alone, these absolutely phenomenal and very talented individuals made it all possible and without them, I would be out there shooting landscapes and cactus. These girls got up early, suffered my company on long drives to remote areas of desert, hiked, climbed rocks and braved cold, wind, rain and heat just to create these images.

All I can say is each of them deserves serious kudos, each of them has my deepest respect, gratitude and love because they are what art is made of. And I'm not the only photographer they work with so you really ought to be watching them! The incredible people I had the privilege and honor of working with in 2011, in order of appearance...

Pearl Pardo...

Electric Blue

Rebel Smith...

Or Bust

Sunshine In The Desert...

Dreamstate

Conundra...

If You Could Only

NevaehLleh...

Waterfront

Rebelflowers...

The Illusion Of Light

Madrid...

Lost At Sea

Greenbirdgirl...

Will The Sun Come Up Tomorrow

Sasha L...

Of Moments

Plus someone who will be coming back to California at the end of December to shoot with me, this has been a very blessed year and I am so very humbled by the people who have shared it with me, thank you so much from the bottom of my heart.

 "It's the spirit of a person, that really creates something worthwhile." NevaehLleh

Flowers In The Desert

I have been doing a study with flowers, I'm not sure yet if I should continue.

Pearl

These photos are in the order I shot them, using a Holga 120N and Kodak Portra 400 film.

NevaehLleh

Flowers only come to the desert once a year in the spring, unless you bring your own.

Conundra

If I had the time I'd do 100 of these, if I had the time I'd make it into a book.

Madrid

"When I ask to photograph someone, it is because I love the way they look and I think I make that clear. I'm paying them a tremendous compliment. What I'm saying is, I want to take you home with me and look at you for the rest of my life." ~ Amy Arbus

Desert X2

Dejan Dizda is originally from Yugoslavia and now living in Israel & Serbia.

Desert Gallery I (©2010-2011 Dejan Dizda)

His work is among my very favorite images and is also known worldwide, photographing nudes in places such as the Dead Sea, the Nagev & Judean deserts, Dejan has previously invited me to visit Israel and I surely wish I could, I so love his locations!

Storm (©2010-2011 Dejan Dizda)

Then the other day I received a message from him that he will be visiting California and my deserts, the deserts of the southwest US, and needless to say when he asked me to join him I about fell off my chair. So on March 5-12, 2012 we will be shooting together, with two models in places such as Death Valley and the deserts of Arizona and Utah.

Thirst (©2010-2011 Dejan Dizda)

I feel very privileged to be a part of this project, we have a similar respect and love of, the nude in the desert.

Time never Sleeps

Plans are just beginning to come together and specific locations may vary slightly but we've chosen some key places already, a couple I have already shot in and so very much looking forward to returning to!

On The Surface

Isn't the best way to celebrate life to live it?

Gift Of Life

"The camera is just a box. What's important it's what is in your mind." ~Bill Snyder

Pushing

It's common to come across a saying that states in effect; ten photographers can shoot the same model in the same location and you'll have ten very different photographs.

I'm influenced by photographers and models all the time, I will see someone's work in a gallery or on the Net and want to see more. There are a few I very much admire and follow because their work in my opinion is simply amazing.

These images are from a photo shoot I did with Pearl on Sunday, we'd talked about doing something inside, something different, we like to experiment and try different things in photography.

I thought about my art nude work and after we decided to shoot indoors I was thinking of all the photos I've taken though the years, at home, of family, where I had to use room light. I couldn't set up any studio lighting in these situations, the most I ever had was a flash for fill.

Shooting with the one light in the desert feels easy to me, but when you push yourself and work with people who also push it's a very good thing. While looking at the images after the shoot I realized how Pearl has pushed me to improve, and I don't really mean her personally, it's a combination of many things and I'm fortunate to work with people who will push me out of my comfort zone.

Anyone can take a picture...a person with a passion sees the picture before it's taken. - Anonymous

Return to Salton Sea

This past weekend the weather turned cold in the high desert and with the time change sunrise was earlier, so I decided to revisit the Salton Sea on my shoots with Nevaehlleh, Conundra & Madrid.

Waterfront

It's not a difficult place to get to, the old naval test site, I just love the atmosphere.

Echo of the Endless foam

Afternoon or morning is a bit of a toss-up, both seem to work equally as well.

Primal

In my view the better the inspiration, the better the location.

Echo

The Salton Sea is in reality the result of nature getting the better of man, as the saying goes, nature has a way of showing you who is really in charge.

Untitled

 

"True there would be no art without the artist, but there would be no artist without the muse." ~Lawrence Drayton

Unclothed: Artists Discuss Public Reaction

Reminder if you are near Indianapolis, IN 

I am very honored to have work at this event

"To me photography is not a contest, it's my life.. so don't bother challenging me, I already won!" ~Ewlises Gonzalez

Flowers in the desert

In October, you'll need to bring your own.

Desert Flowers

 Pearl & I stopped to buy some flowers on our way out to shoot on Sunday.

Wishful Thinking

These are a couple of the first photos, in early morning light and just after the sun came up over the hills, flowers do change the mood and help to tell the story. It also helps to have an amazing model.

Untitled

Every time I lift my camera to my eye. I realized that every photo I take is a piece of my life I will never get back, but I will always be able to see again and again. - Malcolm Flowers

Promise of Sunrise

At the end of July, Conundra had suggested we head out to the desert for another sunrise photo shoot.

Sunshine Of Life

BUT, the day we went out, it rained all morning, I posted about it then, and ever since we have been hoping for another opportunity to catch another desert sunrise.

Paradise Morning

And then this past weekend things fell into place and we had a most magical morning in the high desert, we traveled back into the hills north of Lucerne Valley and Johnson Valley.

Outbound

I can't tell you how fun it is to work with someone so talented and enthusiastic and our work together has really come a long way since our first shoot in June '08. I would shoot her every other weekend if I could!

Shining I Rise

A Thousand Kisses Deep

I'm really thrilled with the work we do together, my heart smiles every time I see her.

Promise Of Sunrise

We also have work in an upcoming show in Indianapolis, IN. Ironically one of the photos from our morning in the rain, it is such an honor to be selected for this particular show, many amazing artists will be there and the show also features a panel discussion on the topic of the place of the art nude in public venues.

"The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express." ~Francis Bacon