CHEAP CAMERA/10 SECOND TIMER SELF-PORTRAITURE

Monday, November 7, 2011

Does it HAVta Make Sense?


(Snapped on 10/30/11)

It's the darndest thing, you guys...each time (and trust me, there've been many times since I snapped these pics.) that I've contemplated various strategies with which to construct this post - my mind starts to spin like some crazy whirling dervish. There's just so much that I'm simply dying to gab about...but unfortunately, none of it has anything to do with these snaps. Further complicating this inconvenient blog content conundrum - is the fact that even if I could come up with a way to convincingly combine this current group of pics. with the irrelevant details of all the latest gossip: from the bizarre yet amusing, to the surreptitiously romantic (and everything else in between), I wouldn't let myself...because to do so would betray the trust of certain key players, therefore I must keep the juiciest news - under my hat...that is - until (or if) I ever get (or give myself) clearance to open these "confidential files".


(Snapped on 10/30/11)

What I can tell you however, is this: 

#1). Although essentially I forfeited three valuable months, out of the precious last half of my life - to "my date", I am truly grateful for the one good thing that came from the otherwise complete and utter waste of my time...and that is - he got me a job that I love more each day. It doesn't even bother me that I still have to work with him, because unless he opens his big freakin' mouth to harangue me about something he oughtn't (or - is a leetle heavy-handed with the off-brand cologne) - he is (for all intents and purposes) a non-entity, invisible, one hunned po'cent dead to me, (or as my friends in the restaurant biz say)..."86'd".

But back to the good schtuff! So...on top of the regular duties that I'm expected to perform, my employers recently tacked a most exciting element onto my original job description. Not only do I feel honored to have been entrusted with the added responsibility, but I am over-the-moon ecstatic about the new position...yip

(What's this?! Could the pendulum be starting to swing in my favor?)


(Snapped on 10/30/11)

(To that - I answer cautiously, "Yes?"...cuz there's this too)

#2.) Two of my photos were recently selected to hang in "The Dark Side: Night Photography" exhibit, at 1650 Gallery in Los Angeles. This marks the very first time that any of my self-portraits have been displayed in a public venue, which is HUGE! And...even though neither print went home with a loving family - I am not even marginally bummed...why? Because. It means that I now have two self-pics. printed on paper, ready to be signed, framed and made available for purchase...(Looks like it's time to sweep the cobwebs outta The Big Ugly "Store")


(Snapped on 10/30/11)

Ok but so...you do see what I mean about there being literally no correlation between the words in this post, and the pics....dontcha? And lemme just say that it's not because I didn't enjoy the shoots that I staged at this house on consecutive days...cuz I did! But the only snippets that come to mind, when I try to find something to pluck from outta the ole memory bank - are: On the first day, there was four inches of snow on the ground (you can kinda make it out beyond the doorway in the 2nd pic.). Now, a snowfall before Halloween hasn't happened around here, in fifty-odd years (or so I've heard) so that's weird...


(Snapped on 10/31/11)

...and on the second day, the air that was trapped in the house was SO cold - that I lost all sensation in my feet and consequently - I quit before my camera battery died...even weirder. 

Wow...now that's what I call compelling journalism...*snore*


(Snapped on 10/31/11)

All right, I give up...I'm gonna walk away before I really start to embarrass myself. 

I guess my only excuse for dumping this dreadfully disjointed drivel upon you, is that I'm far too preoccupied with everything that's been happening outside of my blogosphere - to be able to concentrate on coalescing the text and the pics. in this post. And so, I dunno - I guess if it's all the same to you guys - I'm gonna chalk this week up as a "bye". With any luck by next week though, I'll have calmed down enough to siphon off some of the excitement and enthusiasm that continues to percolate in my personal life - and pour them more directly into the upcoming entry...and hope to god it makes better sense...

19 comments:

  1. sometimes the best thing to do is hoark it all up and sort it out later! and that last pic in the bathtub? how'd you do that? it's awesome and made me smile!

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  2. @daisyfae - Oh my GOSH, daisyfae! I just can't seem to leave it aLONE! I've been editing and tweaking this post, for hours this morning...and I'm pretty sure I've only made it worse. I seriously need to get up from my desk and go do something else for awhile...grrrrrr...

    Oh! The bathtub pic.? I fastened my camera to one of the upright poles on this shelving unit thingy, that was up against the wall by the tub...Once again, I havta give props to my handy dandy Gorillapod...it's the only reason I was able to shoot from that angle.

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  3. gotta say my favorite shot from this group is #5. so much of your work is filled with tension - the precarious balance in 1, the musculature and balance in 2 and 4, the cramped, uncomfortable positioning in 3, and the almost visceral, teeth-grinding contrast between teder exposed flesh and the grimy, litter-strewn bathtub in 6. but in 5 there's just a feeling of ... dare i say it: contentedness. there's an air of relaxation in that shot that's made all the more powerful because of the contrast with the others. and once again i find myself probably reading more into a shot than you intended, but i love the sort of literal vs figurative theme in that shot. the way you're positioned and the tilt of your head makes it feel like you're reminiscing, looking back, reflecting. and then there's the literal mirror, once again, reflecting. but the mirror image doesn't show your back, as though the "alternate" you has only what's in front of her. if i had to title that shot, it might be something like "putting the past behind". see, i told you i was reading too much into it :) but that's what art does - it makes you see far beyond what's presented, gives you pause, makes you think. your work consistently does that, and therefore is most assuredly art. you deserve to be shown in galleries, and i'm certain the LA show is only the first of many to come.

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  4. I like the first one. The contrast between the shiny blue dress and the rest of the photo, which is essentially sepia-toned and fairly dull in terms of texture and color, is amazing. I love it.

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  5. i will not debate the definition of "beauty" but after reading your entire blog i must say you have a presence, oozing a essence of nostalgia of 30's hollywood, every post is an adventure, in expressionism, self portraiture and subtle eroticism. times i am aroused, them startled and finally thoughtful
    thank you for being able to open yourself and share

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  6. Firstly: CONGRATULATIONS!! Being exhibited is a major step. Enjoy the feeling and milk it for all its worth!
    Secondly: No - it doens't have to make sense! I enjoyed this post precisely because your joy in both your writing and in your photos came bounding off the screen. There is something that grabs my attention with every one of these pics. My fave is the one with your back in the door way but yeah I love your smile too.

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  7. You GUYS - holy COW! Just LOOK at all of these wonderful COMments - THANK You!!! (And here I'd thought everyone would sleep right through this one...)

    I don't have to go into work today, and although it's an absolutely gorgeous day and I SHOULD be out in it taking pics. - my entire yard needs to be mowed...BADly! So, while I'm sitting atop my mower (for the next 5 hours or so) I shall do my best to write an intelligible response to each one of you - via my iPhone...(this oughtta be good...)

    Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with me...you guys make me feel like the luckiest blogger on Earth :)

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  8. excellent work as always, but - sure - more thumbs up for the blue dress. a *fantastic* shade for you / you look vaguely .. Chilean in it (ha!).

    peace,
    S. Barrios

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  9. @Anonymous - Ya' know? I hadn't actually thought about the whole tension thing before, but you're exactly right! After reading your comment, it occurred to me, that even in the pictures in which I've tried to exude this sort of relaxed, chilled, "been lying here for hours" quality - I can never seem to fully relax my body...my muscles appear to always be engaged. And the best explanation that I can come up with for this - is the 10 second time limit coupled with the rapid succession in which I dart from camera to pose - frame after frame. I get pretty wound up, almost frantic during my shoots...no matter how simple the poses appear to be...

    Thanks for bringing to light - something that I hadn't really thought about before!

    Also, I think one of the best compliments an artist could hope for - is to hear that their work is thought-provoking...I go into most of my shoots with very little premeditation about what will transpire, because typically once I get to the venue, everything turns out totally different than what I'd expected. I've said it before but - the whole process for me is very organic...like, the situation/setting more often than not - dictates to ME, just exactly how things should go down...and I can honestly say that the images produced are rarely the result of anything terribly deliberate on my part...Sometimes when I look at certain pics. for the first time, I can barely even recognize that the person in them is me...

    Thanks again for chiming in! You gave me so much to contemplate...fanTAStic!

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  10. @Alex R.- Yeah, that little shed was so weird...practically everything on the floor in there was covered with this strange terra cotta-colored powder...I couldn't figure it out.

    I'm glad to hear that you like this pic.. BeCAUSE of the dress, it seemed sort of outta place next to all of the others. I actually thought about not including it in this post. I'm now glad that I DID, though!

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  11. @The Old Kr0w - Self-portraiture for me, has never failed to be personally gratifying on many different levels...but to know that even just a handful of people out there in this big ole world - get something out of looking at my pics (as you say YOU do) makes it infinitely more rewarding...It is absoLUTEly my pleasure to be able to share my work with folks who appreciate this thing that I do! Thank YOU!

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  12. @SapioSlut - It really is true! I totally dug both of the shoots that I staged in this quirky, old house...and my frustration over failing to merge my thoughts with the pics. aside - I was in very high spirits as I reflected on all the good fortune that's come my way lately...sometimes maybe it IS just better to follow one's instincts, and not ask too many questions along the way :)

    Love it when you stop by, Thank You!

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  13. @tdaschel - I was so excited when I scored that cheesy, blue dress for a measly $2.50, off of the Halloween sale rack at my favorite, local thrift sto'! I have no idea why I like it so much...it's so flippin' tacky, it's not even funny!

    Pretty cool that it makes me look Chilean :D

    Thanks so much for bein' here!

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  14. Wow... #2 is stunningly good, although I think I like the outtake shot better for several reasons. What made you choose this one over that one?

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  15. @Steve Mouzon - I can't really SAY, exactly...I think I chose it partly because I like the way my arms are dangling so far back, and you can see both of my hands (this was a more difficult pose to hold than you might think just by looking at it, btw) I was however, a little concerned that the shadows on my butt make it look dimply (I'm vain, but we all know that by now). I posted it though, trusting that everyone would realize it was shadows resultant from the sunlight meeting my hair (I guess they know NOW, eh? How was THAT for slick? Haha!)

    I'm curious to know what it is about the B-Side version, that you like so much better...

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  16. They're both awesome shots. Here's why I like the B-side version a bit better:

    •The light is softer, for some reason. You can see it most easily on the plywood and the slats, but also on your body as well. Most women don't have nearly the definition you do, so they could use the harder light to bring out definition, but you're so exquisitely cut that you don't lose the definition in the softer light. The resulting combination of magnificent cut and delicious softness is something few women can achieve in any light.

    •Your hands, while they look great in this shot, hide the hair shadow on your butt in the other shot that looks like dimples.

    •Your lower body is turned just a bit more to the camera on the B-side shot, exposing more of your tummy... and when you've got one as great as yours, that's a good thing.

    •I love your arms in this shot, but in the B-side shot, they actually do something a bit more poetic by sort of "completing the ellipse" for lack of a better term. Do you see what I mean?

    Again, both are great shots worthy of revisiting more than once... this is just why I like the B-shot version slightly more.

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  17. Yep, it doesn't always have to make sense if it feels right when putting an image together. Sometimes its best to go with one's gut or instinct and see where it leads you.

    Wonderful images.

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  18. @Jeff - Ya' know something? Your comment, although succinct - packed a timely and relevant punch that resonated with me on a deeper level than maybe you intended it to...I've been kind of at a standstill, lately - in regards to my pics. and my blog...grappling with which direction to take them both next. Maybe I should stop over-thinking everything so much, and just follow my instincts like you said...

    Thanks for helping me get my head outta my ass, haha! Oh! And btw - beautiful photos on your flickr account!

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  19. @Lauralyn,

    Glad to be of unintended help! :) Sometimes if we go with instinct we may not like the result, but the process of moving along could also help free up the creative juices to prepare you for the next project.

    I like planning but also can be guilty of analysis paralysis. It's a balance.

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