Fate and Felicity

Almost a year ago I happened to find a very gifted self portrait artist living and working in Asia, I was immediately enchanted by her style and exceptional work. Not just that either because like me, she enjoyed experimenting with light & form, color & shadow

Take It Back

Among our discussions at one point I asked about working with another photographer, thinking of myself of course and truly was not surprised by her response when she said it wasn't very likely that we'd ever meet in person.

The Wind In My Hair

I guess the saying is true about being careful what you wish for because in a twist of fate and one amazing opportunity, we did in fact meet. And not only did we meet but we just did a 3 day desert road trip and photo shoot. I feel so incredibly blessed and very thankful that I can write this, it is an amazing feeling and a dream come true that I can post, Felicity in my deserts...

Two Steps

I practically overslept but I was able to scramble through a quick shower and get dressed by 4:15am, only 15 minutes late, Felicity was waiting for me, I had camera's loaded and most everything ready to go so by we were on the road shortly thereafter. Stopping at a Starbucks at 5 then a grocery store for flowers, we were in Lucerne just after the sun.

Portrait Of A Self Portrait Artist

First the flowers with the Holga, we worked on the dry lake bed for a a couple of hours, then up into the hills behind, after this we found a couple of abandoned buildings for another hour or two then headed toward Apple Valley and lunch. 

Living In Boxes

It was a bit of a whirlwind shoot because there were three main destinations in the three days, aside from Lucerne all were spaced fairly far apart, the Trona Pinnacles, Joshua Tree & Salton Sea were the main goals, we also visited the Indio canyons and the San Bernardino mountains.

Dream Shadows

These three days went by so fast, we were shooting and driving in the heat of the desert in July, savoring the sunrises and sunsets and getting what we could in between. The second day we decided to find a motel and do some work inside, this was a chance to get off the road for a bit, also an opportunity for Felicity to do some self portraits. We were without a real plan but made good use of the space, the light and especially the air conditioning.

So that's the story in a nutshell, we admired each others photographic style after finding each other on the Internet, we thought about what it might be like to meet and work together, and then with the opportunity ...and plane fare, we made a plan and did it. Across the ocean and into the desert, 3 days of adventure and wandering, we had fun, we did what we love to do and if this wasn't a wondrous gift enough, we met as distant acquaintances and parted close friends. Everything is possible.

Made Of Dreams

"Sometimes a photograph offers the photographer a gift he didn't expect, a marvelous detail - what the eye longing for meaning sees unconsciously, and includes. How wonderful it is that the decision to take a photograph is mysterious - giving us, like love, more than we bargained for." ~John Rosenthal

Logan & Shelby

On the weekend prior to their anniversary, I had the opportunity to again work with Logan & Shelby.

One Plus One

They are wonderful to work with! We basically planned the shoot in two parts, first an early morning trip into the hills and up to a mine in the mountains and then back home for some indoor images using available light.

Heart's Garden

So we headed north toward the mountains taking advantage of a couple of locations we found along the way, then spending some time investigating the area around the mine. 

Gold Mine

When the temperature climbed we headed toward home, but this abandoned trailer caught my eye as we were leaving Anza, so we had to use it. 

This World

One of the great things about the mountains, and the desert most times is the clean air, clean light and deep blue skies, and of course having two wonderful nude models along never hurts!

Rainbow Newsstand

We had so much fun wandering some back roads and exploring the mountains.

Wilderness

Back to base camp and switching gears for some more intimate portraits.

Good times, great people, Shelby is so totally natural in front of a camera.

Her Way

We have another shoot penciled in for September, I can't hardly wait!

Lovers Touch

"We are making photographs to understand what our lives mean to us." ~Ralph Hattersley

Beautiful Mila

While on her way up the coast on a road trip, my friend and Muse, Mila stopped by for a day of adventure and photos and it's always a special treat when I get to see her!

Rite Of Spring

We started the day in the hills just north of Apple Valley, the first shots we did were a re-shoot for my flower series, the images we did in December didn't turn out because the shutter had broken on my Holga. This time they did and so beautifully, I'll soon be putting them together for presentation. 

Study Of Form

Each time we've had the opportunity to shoot it's been wonderful and magical, and this was no exception.

Fresh Air

Other than redoing the flower shot we had no plan, no real concepts and in fact decided were to go only after we were on the road, I'm not sure if the adventure came as a result of the photos or the other way around, but either way a day with Mila is always good day indeed.

Hands Of Stone

Knowing the desert heat of the afternoon would make life out there uncomfortable at best, when the temp rose, the sunlight started to get harsh and the shadows shortened we headed for the mountains. Taking the truck trail that winds it's way up on the north side of the San Bernardino mountains, through some small valleys and into the forest. Then we took a short detour to a mountain creek I know of up there and perfect timing for some shade and cool water, eventually wrapping up the day at Big Bear lake. 

Mila is truly one of a kind heart & soul, I can't tell you how much I adore her and so love the work we do during the times we can get together, and I'm super excited because we are planning a short road trip for this fall through Nevada, Utah & New Mexico and some of the most unique places and terrain on the planet. 

A Step At A Time

"The ground we walk on, the plants and creatures, the clouds above constantly dissolving into new formations - each gift of nature possessing its own radiant energy, bound together by cosmic harmony." ~Ruth Bernhard

Stationary Objects

Trapped In A Memory

Rusty & Katz

I had the opportunity to spend a weekend with a fantastic pair of talented art models, Rusty Shackelford and his lovely wife Katz Pajamaz.

We spent the first day, a Saturday afternoon in a hotel suite, rearranging furniture and generally brainstorming concepts and ideas, a few we worked out before the shoot and some came to mind once we were there and saw the space. Using a combination of natural and artificial light it was a lot of fun simply working through our ideas and trying new ones. 

Secret Spaces

Sunday morning, day 2, we were determined to be out at a desert location at daybreak so we got up butt crack early and hit the road before 5, we were generously rewarded with a spectacular sunrise.

I had a couple of places in mind but as usual we were also open to what we found out there.

Construction

I can't say enough about what a pleasure it was to collaborate with these two, they are both so very artistic and work together so well, they are what I would say is the perfect team!

The Confusion Of Man

Both have worked with fantastic photographers and artists and it's easy to see why they are highly sought after.

Perchance To Dream

I still have a good portion of the shoot to go through and edit, but I could not be happier with what we captured, but not just that, it was a wonderful and fun weekend with down to earth great people!

"Part of it has to do with the discipline of being actively receptive. At the core of this receptivity is a process that might be called soft eyes. It is a physical sensation. You are not looking for something. You are open, receptive. At some point you are in front of something that you cannot ignore." ~Henry Wessel

Good Clean Fun

 

Holga

Shooting more with the Holga 120N, and loving the results. I'll get the hang of this little camera yet!

Out My Back Door

For a little plastic box with limited control, it's amazing what it captures, you can in essence adjust the focal length by turning the lens barrel and there is a slider button for aperture control, "control" in the loosest sense of the term, or, as the manual states, depending upon whether the conditions are "sunny, or, not so sunny".

I also love this statement from the manual, "Holga is a study in plastic imperfection. To use it is an exercise in breaking free from the dependence on technology." I'm using it much more now and experimenting with it, I'll shoot with my digital camera when I need to be more sure of the result, and with the Holga when I want to be surprised!

I've been sticking with Kodak Portra 400 color film, it seems the most versatile so far, I tried 800 speed film hoping to get some images in low light, but for me a nice sunny day is where this camera fits me best.

A couple of models upon seeing me pull the Holga from my camera bag have given me quizzical looks, akin to pulling out a camera phone to shoot with.

The Holga is definitely old school and as basic as it gets, I think this is a big part of it's appeal.

Google Holga and you will find pages and pages of information, images, groups and contests, I have come across several galleries who feature images created using plastic lens cameras, some of the work is really amazing.

I'll be taking this camera along on every photo shoot from now on, who knows, I may just shoot something worthy of gallery space one day!

"The standard of photography is rectangles, straight-edged images. It's just an arbitrary standard. The way I print mine, and the way the Holga sees, is not that way. So I am playing on that even more by cutting them out in this round way and trying to open people up to different ways of seeing the world and presenting photography.
But also to me, the Holga, the way these images are, that they are sharp in the center and they vignette in the corners is more how we really see. When you're looking at the world, you're not seeing a scene that is sharp all the way to the edges and bright all the way to the edges and has straight lines. You're seeing something sharp in the center and then the rest of it is all kind of blurring out." ~Michelle Bates

Gone Lost

Abandoned places in the desert.

I love the mood that can come from a place that is empty and/or trashed, structures in the desert are often in various stages of decay or deconstruction, very rarely is there any graffiti.

The Corner Room

Sometimes you find them empty and sometimes full of household items, furniture, the works, as if whoever was living there just up and left every possession behind one day.

Secret Recipe

Sometimes we will look for clues to the mystery of the people who were once there, one thing for certain you never know what you might find.

No Time To Move

It's always interesting to see what we find and how we can use what we find in photos, interpretation of the location and it's state, and what has been left there almost always sparks inspiration.

Flight Of Stairs

It gives us another option when the sun gets overhead and the outdoor light gets harsh, another dimension to the art nude in the desert.

Onions

"The camera captures light, our minds capture images." ~Anonymous

Nude But Not Rude

Last night in Pasadena was the opening for "Nude But Nut Rude" at Linus Galleries

I had the honor of very beautiful company, fine art models NevaehLleh, Pearl & Wyldcat all came to the show! I took these photos early in the evening, by 8pm the place was standing room only, in fact Linnea, the owner remarked to me, I think we need more nude shows, maybe become a nude gallery!

 

 

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