Fight From The Inside

The battle of mind.

Safe & Sound

Working on these images brought up some unexpected emotions and memories of someone I loved dearly.

Back Again

Disturbing perhaps but this was the goal, I'm not making a statement even if I could, after all, aren't there three sides to every story? Some make an image to make a statement be it political, social, economic or personal, I just don't have that kind of time, you'll simply have to judge them on your own terms.   

Captivating

My heart goes out to all the people who fight from the inside, no doubt there are times most if not all of us know the feeling but for a few, it's known as existence. 

Fight From The Inside

"You can't photograph your thoughts." ~Stephen Johnson

Abandoned

Some images from places we take refuge when the desert gets hot and the light turns harsh...

Isolated

Another Lonely Soul

The Workshop

Unfamiliar Voices

"The camera is an excuse to be someplace you otherwise don't belong. It gives me both a point of connection and a point of separation." ~Susan Meiselas

Trona

The amazing landscape that is the Trona Pinnacles.

Shades Of Babel

On the Searles dry lake bed in the Mojave desert these tufa pinnacles raise up surrounded by flat lands, on close inspection this rock looks and feels like coral. An other-worldly and unfriendly environment, but a place used in dozens of movies, television shows, commercials and so on due to the unique appearance.

Where Does Time Go

It's amazing to be there and amazing to see, it can feel like you are in another time.

Pillars Of Salt

Also known as "Cathedral City" it's a place where I always feel inspired, and as difficult as it is to work here I have always felt it was worth the effort.

Limitless

"One does not for long wrestle a view camera in the wind and heat and cold just to illustrate a philosophy. The thing that keeps you scrambling over the rocks, risking snakes, and swatting at the flies is the view. It is only your enjoyment of and commitment to what you see, not to what you rationally understand, that balances the otherwise absurd investment of labor." ~Robert Adams

Film

There was a time, not too long ago I remember people and photographers, one by one, relenting to shiny new digital cameras, "gone digital" became somewhat of a short lived catch phrase.

No Forwarding Address

And there were naysayers on both sides of the equation, I personally began using digital cameras early on, as soon as I could afford one I was shooting with abandon, view, edit delete, it was too easy. I listened to both sides of this debate and agreed with the talking points of both, Similar to the never ending Nikon/Canon debate, the only good thing to come out of it is the fact each company tries to out do each other and we benefit by a better quality product, in the photo you'll never see the difference. It reminds me of a quote by Melvin Sokolsky, "Ideas are not digital, tools are digital, what good is the tool without the idea?" 

Origins II

Recently I've been giving this a lot of thought and wouldn't you know it that Sunday while out shooting with Pearl two situations came up where I wished I had a camera loaded with film. Now I should probably explain that most often Pearl and I go without a plan, just a general idea of locations and I've always been happy how my digital cameras have performed in many, many varied situations. So it was either thought given to what I wanted to convey, or Pearl's nagging influence in advocating for film, but I was looking at a scene we were setting up and it occurred to me, THIS is perfect for film.

Gone Broke

Long story short, I've been shopping for cameras again, film cameras this time and I'm very excited about it, I'm adding a 35mm with a wide angle lens and soon a medium format, probably 6X7 and I can't wait to find a reason to need them.  

See Me

"Kodak sells film, but they don't advertise film. They advertise memories." ~Theodore Levitt

Opening Night

Last night was opening night for NUDE 3 at Manifest Gallery in Cincinnati, Ohio

I kinda, sorta feel like I was there, I was in spirit for certain and with a huge Thank You to Scott Nichol who was there and shared these photos, I so appreciate it. The venue looks amazing and having perused the work that was chosen for this show, including two phenomenal prints by Scott, it was an impressive group and I am humbled to be in such company.

Manifest Gallery

What an amazing feeling when Scott posted these images, the world of artistic nude photography may be vast, and it does encompass many different avenues, ideas and personalities, but it is made up of the most kind, warm and beautiful people on the planet.

Scott Nichol (Memories of Water)

Above is the incredible Brooke Lynne in one of Scott's palladium prints, one model I know that both Scott and I have had the pleasure of working with, I got the chance to shoot with her in the desert in 2009.
I was introduced to Scott's work when I first saw an image he did with Ida Mae several years ago, I believe he was using a Lensbaby and I was awe struck by the beauty of it, that photo took my breath away.
Below is his image "Clay, Frame #3" with Stephanie Anne Landers, that is dwarfed by a 6' tall work by Chris Day hanging next to it, wow.
But go see more of Scott Nichol's wonderful work is on his web site, here: Silverystars.

"That you work with no net is seen as foolhardy by most, yet you've known from that first wobbly step that timidity dilutes photographic achievement, and great poetry never rhymes." ~Andrew Stark

Naked journey

I received a special groovy treat this week, my good friend Karen is writing about her experience modeling, dating and her move from California to Virginia, a first draft of an upcoming book.

Harmony & Me

Reading this, particularly the first few chapters took me back to the time when we first met and our first desert photographic adventures, as much as I've written about the feelings and experience of the desert at daybreak, it is so very interesting to read it from a completely different perspective. 

Atlantis

It flowed wonderfully and Karen has this way of writing that gives you the impression she is right there telling the story. Once I stopped getting interrupted by other things I couldn't and didn't want to put it down, it's funny, heartfelt, witty and enlightening. After reading about some of her dating adventures, or rather misadventures, I just wanted to give her a great big hug!

Extinction

Karen takes us along on a heartfelt and profound spiritual journey of growth and discovery, this is not some naked romps in nature broken up by a road trip, not by a long shot. I was right there with her, whether it be in the isles of a Whole Foods market in Little Rock, AR or sipping a margarita at Fred's in Fort Worth, TX. This is a story of love, sex, dreams, and naked rock climbing with an amazing dose of enlightenment and wonder, I'm so grateful to have this first glimpse and I'm so excited to read the rest of the story!

"There are two ways one can run naked through the wilderness, literally and figuratively, I choose literally" ~GroovaciousK

Beautiful

Prior to our ability to figure it out for ourselves, who tells us what beautiful is?, social media? Magazines? Television? Friends?

Art Nude tv

Saturday I had the opportunity to visit The Annenberg Space for Photography and experience the current exhibit BEAUTY CULTURE. When I initially looked at the web site I got it in my mind somehow that this was a show featuring mainly Hollywood glamor, which turns me off anyway so it's no surprise to me that I didn't read further. I did however want to see the space and get a feel for what they were about.

Untitled

I wish I had read further, yes there are iconic images of so-called 'super models' and women who have had a substantial influence on the definition of beauty in society, however this exhibit takes the concept of beauty to a much deeper than skin level. In all truth I walked out of there feeling somewhat vindicated because for me real beauty is not a measurement, it is a spirit and all the plastic surgery in the world will only make you different, not beautiful, not to me, the beauty is in the creation not the decoration.

Dust

This is part of the 'why' of how I began doing nude photography, what I was seeing in my then limited experience was, well, limited. I was seeing scores of photos where the photographer seemed to be treating the model as the object instead of the subject and I thought, I could do much better then this. I wanted to see more balance, to see more of the harmony in nature and it seemed to me what I was seeing as popular was a sort of tunnel vision. Later I began to find the work of some incredible contemporary photographers which opened up a whole new world to me, and continues to do so.

It Never Ends

"If you don't respect yourself in terms of what you're doing and your own vision, who else is going to?" ~Melvin Sokolsky

Portfolio Book

I've put together a short portfolio book and made it available to purchase. ...Soooo the main object of this blog is complete and utter self promotion and consumerism. These would make great holiday gifts!!! Any time of year ;-)

Portfolio 2011

Clicking on the cover (above) will take you to a full preview, this is a few of my most recent images and I will probably not have it up too long because I'm planning to expand it into a follow up to the book I did in 2009. I wanted something simple I could hand to people such as gallery directors because there are times you can't pull out the 50 page 13 X 19 book, and I wanted something I could potentially leave with them.

Zenith

I have several photo shoots planned and more in the works taking me into the fall, but I'm by no means booked. On the other hand I'm not looking for "models" either, that said if you've thought of modeling and feel you'd like to be a part of my work, please feel free to shoot me a message.

Dreams Of Light

I am also in the planning stages of a couple of real life shows for late fall, but it depends on if I can steal enough time to complete the images and have them ready.

Living In The Chaos

"We make pictures. At the end of the day, we create something potentially significant that did not exist at the beginning of the day. We go forward, despite the uncertainty. Because this is an act of love and passion, which defies reason and prudence." ~Joe McNally

Desert Rain

I had a real treat yesterday and got soaked in a desert thunderstorm.

We were hoping for a sunrise but nature had other plans, Brooke (RF Photography) and I picked up Conundra and we headed for the high desert around 4:30am, the weather reports called for cloudy with a chance of rain. We found the rain, or the rain found us, camera's wet and clothes soaked we had an awesome day shooting in wet weather.

Grey skies and on and off rain set the backdrop but we took full advantage of it.

It's an amazing place, beautiful and often unpredictable, sometimes a challenge and always an adventure, this is some of why I love working in the desert so much. More than that though, I continue to be so blessed by the people I get to share the experience with, more than I can name in the years I've been shooting with art models and the list keeps growing.

Elements

"When I started my adventure in photography, I was suddenly introduced to the world around me. I can’t believe I have been so blind for too many years." ~Laura Tate Sutton