CHEAP CAMERA/10 SECOND TIMER SELF-PORTRAITURE

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Encore, Une Fois


(All self-pics. snapped on 9/06/11)

Although in the not-so-distant past, it was nothing for me to stage back-to-back photo shoots (three or even more in the same day, on occasion), lately I'm so busy with work and other things - that I feel fortunate to wind up with a single batch of new pics. per week. Riding the wave of my little Labor Day free-for-all however, along with the fact that I had the following day off of work also - I was totally jazzed about spending a rare, second day in a row - somewhere, anywhere - in front of and behind my trusty camera...


I have no idea why shooting at the venue that I chose - hit me. But it did. Ya' see, there was this day late last winter, when I strolled around downtown taking Instagram pics. with my phone, and at some point I came upon a vacant property on which stood the most incredible assemblage of antiquated warehouses - their rich patina so irresistible to me, that I knew I just had to find a way to breach the tall, solidly-constructed, seemingly impervious board fence that fortified the property, and (presumably) protected it from intruders. Luckily, I found a spot in the imposing barrier, where two boards had been conveniently removed, creating a small space just big enough for me to barely squeeze through. 


Once inside and exploring the grounds and buildings, I was happier'n a pig wallerin' in shit. There was just so much awesomeness to see and to snap, and so I stayed and took pictures until I absolutely had to leave...so that I'd be at school in time to pick my kids up at dismissal.


(Snapped on 9/07/11 - using an iPhone and an Instagram filter)

I haven't really thought about that place very much since then, but for whatever reason - it popped into my head last Tuesday, literally the instant I began brainstorming where to stage some new pics.. 

The weather that day was atrocious, which was really of no consequence - since my plan was to shoot under cover and out of the pouring rain, as well as more discreetly - inside of the buildings. I drove into town, parked my car around the corner from the conglomerate of crusty structures, and walked to where I remembered slipping through the crack in the fence the first time. But this time, there were two brand new boards where the crack used to be. "Damn", I thought..."now what do I do". Without breaking stride, I continued to walk the perimeter of the property - but paused when I noticed a gap where the fence met the chain-link gates (see above). It looked pretty tight, and turned out that it was - my butt fit ok, but I couldn't smash my left boob down enough to slip the top part of me through...*pffffft*

So. I trudged on through the rain, the rest of the way around the entire property - looking for something that I could possibly sneak over, or under, or through...but found no such place via which to gain entry. I decided to go back to that gap by the gates, where I next tried sliding one boob through - by itself first, and then the rest of me (and my bulky backpack) around the pole until I was all the way inside of the fence. I panicked for a second, when it felt like I might actually be stuck - but I squoze while I pushed really hard one...last...time, and just like that - bloop - I was in...Giddyup!


The space was outstanding - overwhelming, in fact. There were almost too many options to consider...and although that is undeniably a good problem to have - I still milled around aimlessly, for the first ten minutes - marveling over my stellar surroundings, and having made the snap decision to go there. Eventually though, my awe morphed into lucidity (thank god) at which time I set up my camera, got naked and posed. 

After spending an hour and fifteen minutes shooting inside of the same structure, I hopped down through the large opening (seen in the image above), and placed myself up against the corrugated, galvanized wall (seen below) that reflected and magnified the odd, rainy-day light.


At this point, although there was a roof over my head, there was no wall out in front of where I'd set up my shots...soooo...in essence - I was outside...which primarily meant - potentially visible to folks who might glance out of the upper floor apartments across the way, aaand spot me...trespassing, naked and actin' a fool.

In the end though, I abruptly called it quits for a completely different reason. A train engine had come slowly rolling down the tracks (which are juuust on the other side of that high board fence that I mentioned) and came to rest at the tiny station nearby, giving the engineer a clear line of sight into my shoot.  

I got dressed and packed my gear in a furious hurry, smooshed myself (once again) through the gap by the gate, walked briskly back to my car, and left for home still feeling sorta hungry for that place.


I returned to take some more pics., later that evening while it really rained (this time though, I was clothed, and posing out in front of a building on the opposite side of the street)...mostly because I felt like I'd only just started warming up, when that train so rudely pulled up to the station and cut my derned shoot short...



Even now, I keep thinking of all of the things that I wish I would've done while I was at that remarkable place, earlier that day...and with so many ideas swirling around in my brain, I don't think it's completely out of the question to think that I will indeed go back there - encore, une fois...

6 comments:

  1. I don't know what it is about this one, but I REALLY like it!

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  2. @A Redditor - I dunno...it's pretty standard pin-up fare, and I do think that those types of pics. generally appeal to peeps...Personally though? I love the backdrop. I couldn't believe how clean and debris-free the old building was.

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  3. I like that one, too, but the first shot is exquisite! And on several levels... It's an excellent composition, to begin with. Nice use of window as a frame. And on a purely visceral level, the sight of all that naked flesh inches framed in broken glass just makes me want to cringe! In a good way, of course. Great work!

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  4. @Steve Mouzon - THANK You! I did actually try posing on the other side of the window - but only once. After I absentmindedly reached up to hold onto the frame, I sliced the shiz outta the palm of my hand - OW!

    The thing that bothers me about the photo you mentioned - is that both of my knees are on the same side of the window...I wish I woulda put my inside knee on the OUTside of the window...blasted hindsight.

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  5. I'm okay with the knees. The only thing I'd have done different is your left arm. I had to do a double-take to see if that was part of the trunk of your body or what. It would have been better to grab the center mullion of the window with your left arm. But it's such a strong image that it can tolerate a small glitch like this.

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  6. @Steve Mouzon - Yeah, I totally hear ya'. The way that it became sorta translucent in the light, is definitely a bit confusing to the eye. Rats...

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