Sorry...We're Closed Until Monday...

(Snapped on 7/14/10)

Ok, all you beautiful people...Mama's gotta split for a few days...takin' a little road trip to a place where I've never been. Gonna snap a few pics. in an amazing locale, catch up with a dear friend at her fab off-the-grid home, and if I'm really lucky - she'll let me christen the brand-new, just off the truck, fresh outta the crate...composting toilet! 

After all that though, I'll hurry back home and get right to work - updating The Big Ugly. Look for a new post by Monday afternoon. Right yeah...so, "by Monday" might be a bit optimistic, but I'll definitely get one up by Tuesday...I swear!

Anyway, apologies in advance for the little hiccup in this - my new (fairly) regular posting trend. I realize that it's practically inexcusable for me to take leave already, when I only just launched the new Big Ugly - two weeks ago...TODAY! (*clink*) But I do promise to make it up to you guys, as soon as I get back. I dunno...maybe I'll flash my tits or somethin'.........Nah, that's no good - I do that all the time anyway...Eh, don't you worry - I'll figure somethin' out...

Enjoy your weekend...Be safe but have FUN! 

The Five Faces of...Me?

Ok boys and girls, besides the demonic stare (now do you get why I so seldom look at the camera?)...raise your hand if you can tell me what's wrong with this picture. 

Yes...very GOOD, class! The correct answer is: it appears that I have no nipples

(Snapped on 7/11/10)

By the time the photos in this entry were taken, I was out of a job (the woman I worked for - had died) which - sad as it was (heartbreaking, really) actually worked out in a weird kinda way, since my kids were out of school on summer break...Oh! And speaking of breaks...this also happened to be just a couple of weeks following my fluke "flip off of the lifeguard stand" accident...I'll spare you the deets and just say that as a result of my inebriated stupidity, I ended up with a broken bone in my heel and a fracture at the top of my fibula (right leg). Too hardheaded and stubborn to follow doctor's orders and wear the knee brace or bother with the crutches, I chose instead to gimp around in a good deal of pain...the legacy of which, lingers on to this day... 

During the summertime, Monday is the only day each week, that my children aren't with me at all...making Monday - the optimum day (and night) for me to get a few shoots under my belt. The photos in this entry were plucked from five separate shoots - all staged during the latter part of one such Monday (between 7 p.m. and midnight, with a cocktail break in the middle...mais bien sur!)

After digging through the archives, choosing pics. for this entry, and then stacking 'em all up on top of each other - it struck me that over the five shoots that day (in just as many hours, coincidentally) I'd kinda run the thematic gamut...I mean seriously like - can you say, "multiple personalities disorder"? 

Ok let's start with the "veggie patch" series - it was, ummm...how do I put this...a complete and utter FAIL?! In fact before now, I've never done a thing with any of those pics. (other than try and erase them from my memory) 

In planning the "veggie patch" shoot - I'd decided to make use of that brief time in the evening, when the sinking sun cuts a swath through the yard to my garden. And in order to render the pics. "safe" for Facebook (but still revealing enough for #HNT) - I wanted to try a l'il something that I thought might be "cute", soooo...I criss-crossed several brightly colored band-aids over my nips, which (unintentionally in keeping with the whole garden theme) took on the appearance of flower-petaled pasties (awwww...)

Once I got out to the garden though, I was blinded by the intensity of the late afternoon sunlight, and - although I didn't realize it until I viewed the pics. full-size, I clearly overcompensated while trying not to squint (as is evidenced in the photo above)

The sun insisted on slipping below the tree line and the ensuing shadows threatened to shut down the whole production, but - just I was about to hang things up for the night, I happened to glance over at a stack of large locust logs, awash in a spotlight of the last light of day...

(Snapped on 7/11/10)

*Lightbulb*...As I raced over to my studio, I rrrripped off the makeshift pasties *ow* (although whiffed on 86'ing the tiger lily, oops) then went straight to the dress-up pile to root around for something new to put on. I settled on one of our (many) yard sale crinolines (kinda sucked that I grabbed the one with a dry-rotted waistband) and tore back across the yard thinking, "Damn! On those logs, in that light - these pics. are bound to be good!"...

...the jury is still out on this group of photos, as I personally - have yet to reach a verdict...

(Snapped on 7/11/10)

The sun nestled itself deep into the horizon, deeming the "damsel in this dress" shoot - finis. But not wanting to lose my pic.-snapping momentum, I came up with one last concept to attempt.

For awhile I'd entertained doing an overhead shoot, but it wasn't until I ran across an incredibly beautiful, aerial self-portrait (which a Twitter friend had posted on his blog) - that I thought, "I might be able to pull it off too..."

I fetched my step ladder and placed it in our livestock trough, then hunted around for two boards of equal thickness. Indeed I found a couple (hooray), laid 'em across the ladder hinges, and then rested the camera on them, the lens facing down through the space between the boards. Still sportin' the old crinoline, I set the timer and dunked myself...again...and again...and again...

Can I just tell you something? That shit fairly well kicked my fool ass, I ain't lyin'! Out of 50 attempts - I got 3 photos I can use and the other 47 turned out more like this...neat-o.

I finally quit when my nose became so stuffed up, that I could barely breath through it anymore. My sinuses felt like they were literally on fire - I guess I never realized how difficult it is to hold your breath while lying on your back under water...somehow, either air bubbles seep out or the water seeps in, and I'm here to tell ya' - it BURNS! I also struggled to get myself submerged and perfectly still (in a scant 10 seconds) in my virtually victory-less battle against "fun-house mirror face"...

Anyway, after all that, I was ready for a respite from my pics. for a spell. I put the memory card in the thingy to download the images and went over to the house to grab some food, mix a cocktail and decompress in a warm shower...

(Snapped on 7/11/10)

Now sated, I giddily sat down to my Mac to peruse all the new photos I'd snapped - and you know? I found it absolutely amazing that out of three...whole...shoots, there were so few pics. that I actually liked. I was especially displeased with the creepy "android" effect that the band-aids on the nipples in the bright sun had produced. But was particularly mortified by how short and stubby I looked, in each of the wretched "veggie patch" pics.. (more like "Cabbage Patch"...sheesh) Frustrated, I stomped back over to the house to do another round of hair/make-up/costume. I simply could not let the day end on that note.

Swiping a tightrope idea that a friend had recently mentioned, I used the ladder to shine a clamp-lamp on my studio deck railing, and I quickly learned that sprinting around to where I could climb up, find my balance and then walk along it, was an absurdly preposterous idea...On my only attempt, I barely got up on the railing (much less to standing) - when I fell and landed squarely on the dining set below. My leg was ok (dontchu worry 'bout that!) but I did hurt my shoulder a little...*whimper*

The trapeze thing seemed a reasonable (and safer alternative) although it was absolute murder on my knee...I didn't really mind though, cuz I was lubed up on liquor and for the first time all day - I was thoroughly enjoying a shoot.

(Snapped on 7/11/10)

I was happy enough with the "trapeze" pics., to feel good about calling it a night. I carried the ladder back over to the garage, but made the mistake of pausing outside of our sun room, for a sec.. The giant sliding doors were wide open...the collection of house plants spilled forth...and my make-up was still pretty good...I would've been a dunce to have passed on experimenting with the ladder and the clamp-lamp and the camera - all positioned outside in the yard, aiming up into the elevated green room...(which consequently taught me a thing or two about flattering camera placement - sweet!)

Might sound crazy, but I am seriously more exhausted from writing this derned thing, than I was from taking the pics. that are in it...and now, you dear people - you may please be excused...class dismissed...au revoir...that's a wrap!

Watered-Down Divine Intervention

(Snapped on 9/05/10)

After two friends suggested it a few times this summer...and after turning my nose up at the notion for weeks...curiosity (vanity?) got the better of me - and I signed myself up on a modeling site.........That's right I said "modeling site"...what? What's so funny?!

Nah, I know. What a harebrained idea, right? Especially since I'm old and I'm short. So, why did I bother. To be honest - I'm not sure. I guess I'd hoped it could lead to any combination of the following: added income, a better portfolio, or possibly becoming some burgeoning photographer's muse, HA! Who knows. What I do know is the instant I submitted my profile to the site's admin for review and "approval" (or not) I couldn't help but wonder, "Who would even pay me to pose for their pics.?" I mean, besides being vertically challenged and ancient, (other than my silly self-portraits) I have no modeling experience...at all. And on top of that I kept asking myself, "Must I rely on someone else to photograph me, for the sake of plumping up my portfolio?" The way I saw it, I was already doing a bang-up job of filling my books by myself. 

There were other issues that gave me pause, about modeling for a photographer who didn't happen to be me. I did not like the idea of giving up the control of deciding which photos wound up on the internet...not so much because I was worried about my tits or my ass being plastered all over the web (lord knows they'd both long since made their debut) I was more afraid that my (numerous) physical imperfections might end up in circulation...and we couldn't have that now, could we? And furthermore, what about the pesky issue of organizing two people's schedules? I've grown accustomed to picking up on a moment's notice and going wherever, to shoot pics. when I want - without making arrangements to do so - days or even weeks in advance. I was also faced with the hassle of driving long distances to the studios of the photographers "in my area". Adding another human to the equation, seemed to upset the balance of my reliable routine of flying solo...and the uncomplicated spontaneity that comes with it.

Nevertheless, I forged ever onward...and while creating my profile on the modeling site, I chose 10 self-portraits that I believed displayed diversity in what I'm physically capable of - as a model, but also what I've achieved from the other side of the lens. Once I'd been approved and my port was visible to other members, I received glowing comments on my photos (*blush*) and offers from photographers to schedule shoots with me. Sure, it felt good and all that - but I was still kinda thinking, "what in the hell am I doing here?" It turned out I wasn't the only one scratching my head...more than a couple members asked, "Wait...what are you...a model? Or a photographer..." Which got me to thinking...like seriously - what am I? I'm not exactly jonesin' to pose for other folks, nor am I confident enough to snap pics. of someone else. Although through self-portraiture, I experiment with modeling and photography...and if I'm lucky I'll wind up honing both skills - but what does any of that mean...and what am I supposed to do with it all? Does it make me an amateur model/photographer? Or simply a self-absorbed artist...or something...

The backdrop of one of the 10 profile pics., was of an abandoned, crusty old house (which I own). A number of photographers inquired about shooting in the old house, and since doing so meant only traveling a mile from my home, I agreed to a collaborate with the photographer who was available the soonest.

In a nutshell - the night before my first official photo shoot with a real, live professional photographer, and after packing my car with the costumes and props - the dude completely crapped out on me. There's no sense in dwelling on his (bogus?) excuse for canceling our plans at the eleventh hour like he did - or the fact that he's still not called to reschedule - instead I prefer to focus on the good that came out of being left to my own devices that day...not the least of which - the incredible venue where I shot my pics., in the delinquent photographer's stead...behold!

(Snapped on 9/05/10)

Just LOOK at this place! Is it not fanTAStic?! I loved how it somehow sucked every ounce of color from my normally tawny complexion...no matter where I positioned myself or the camera, in relation to the light. When editing the photo above, I clicked "color boost" 5 x's and still somehow, I appear to be this milky white...

The coolest thing though, was being granted immediate access to an often whispered-about, local curiosity. Unfortunately, I can't say much about the specifics of the location, because the owner is terribly protective of his property and privacy, and in exchange for him so graciously allowing me to shoot here - I promised not to reveal the site's "identity" on my blog (hence, no exterior shots...which just KILLS me, you've NO idea!)

At the end of that exhilarating day of snapping pics., I saw it as something of a godsend that the photographer had decided to bail. I promptly resolved to remain a one-man operation...and have deactivated my account on that modeling site. And! Instead of doing a repeat at the old abandoned house (*yawn*) I got to tromp in and around a very special, sorta secret, almost magical structure - and revel in the beauty of serendipity…

The Inevitable Pin-Up Period

(Snapped on 4/28/10)

During the first 4 months of my 10 second timer self-portraiture mania, much as I loved my new hobby and longed to devote every minute to it - my schedule only allowed for one or at the very most - two shoots per week. Needless to say, I relished every opportunity to partake in such frivolity.

At that point, I still had yet to consider the option of taking my half-naked pics. anywhere other than the privacy of my home, so my thought process in planning each upcoming shoot was fairly basic: in which room of the house, or - where in my yard - should I stage each consecutive shoot. And in determining the "where" - the theme and appropriate, provocative attire - generally fell in line, somewhat effortlessly. 

I guess given the nature of #HNT pics. and the limitations of only shooting in and around my house, as well as the fact that I was still such a newbie and my creative juices were just barely percolating, it was probably part of a natural progression that I ended up inadvertently dabbling in a cliche "pin-up"-style phase. The strangest part for me during this time, was to see this unfamiliar person appear in the pics. as I downloaded them onto my computer. I mean, the "real" me is a tomboy...a slob even - and goofy! I rarely wear make-up or give a rat's ass about what to put on my body most days. And so to see that vaguely familiar, scantily-clad (middle-aged!) woman - her face painted up like a ho' - working sexpot poses and come-hither gazes - was definitely a bit startling...to say the least.

The pictures from the above - "fridge shoot", were (comparatively) easy to capture, only in that - the room is quite small and so I had very little wiggle room as far as where exactly to place the camera. My only real option, was to set it in a cubby on a shelving unit that's fixed to the wall. Since I couldn't get my head behind the cam. to look through the viewfinder, it took a few tries to get the angle just right. But after that - it was pretty much smooth sailing. I did have to give the refrigerator a rest, after the upper bulb shut off from the door staying open for too long. But after a cocktail and a ciggy, I was right back on track. 

Although I ended up with less pics. than normal, overall - I liked what I got. They are a tad dark and there wasn't much variety and they did mark the horrific (yet fortunately - tail-end of the) "big boom" era. But since I'm nearly certain that my ass is like half that size now...that part doesn't really bother me anymore.

(Snapped on 5/11/10)

The instant it came to me, I was all over the kitschy concept of the "washing dishes with rubber gloves wearing only an apron" shoot...and because of its simplicity, I felt confident going in - that getting a heap of good pics. (in very little time) would have to be practically failsafe...The moral of the story? Keep your expectations LOW

Over the course of three separate, hours-long attempts (one in the morning, one - late afternoon, and the last ending sometime around midnight) to come up with something...anything - even just one measly picture to like - I wound up (mostly) entirely disappointed. Maybe it was because of the repetitiveness of never deviating from standing at that sink, for christsakes (for a total of what - 6 or 7 hours?!) that left me stuck in a rut and clinging to an idea, that bottom line - produced nothing nearly as compelling as I'd hoped. But rather than give up completely, I kept coming back to experiment with the changing light of morning, afternoon and night...and in the end, out of a couple hundred shots, I ended up with at least a few that I didn't totally hate...meh...

(Snapped on 6/08/10)

The "popsicle" shoot was different, and I can't put my finger on why, precisely...maybe I'd gotten more than my usual 4 - 6 hours of sleep the night before? I dunno...but I liked how I looked in the majority of the 100 or so pictures that I snapped that day, and unlike the "sink" session - my reason for taking so many pics., was because I felt that since I seemed to be on a bit of a roll, I oughtta stockpile as many good pics. as I could.  

My only problem with this shoot, was the fact that I had to eat 10 - 15 popsicles over the course of the day. I'm a low-carb gal, and so - not only was it a shock to my system to ingest such a large dose of sugar, but I swear I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that - by the time I took my next set of pics., my rear end was noticeably bigger!

(Snapped on 7/04/10)

The only thing I have to mention about the "bikini in the bathroom" pics., (besides the fact that my face looked haggardly AND - the tag on my bikini top was visible @#%&*$) is that I just wanted the whole thing to be over in a hurry. Why? I'll tell you - because this bathroom is haunted by our little girl ghost...*shiver*...How tha hell else do ya' think I could keep it so clean? Lord knows no one in my family would ever dare use this bath...(among other odd occurrences, the toilet flushes at random - which we all find raaawther disconcerting...)

As instrumental as the "pin-up" phase was in helping me evolve as a soft porn, self-portrait artist (or "dilettante", as I've recently been dubbed)...I'm reminded when looking back on these earliest of my pics., that although I do like 'em (for the most part) - I'm way more excited about the things that I've done since.

SOMEtimes it's NOT About Me...No SERiously!

(Snapped on 9/04/10)

Last Saturday, I broke up the monotony of vacuuming my studio (for the first time in two years, no lie) - to go watch my son's first football game of the season. It was a great game, our boys played really well, and they slaughtered the opposing team (WOO!) The hugs and high-fiving eventually wound down, and quick as a wink - it was time for me to head home...alone...

It was my ex's weekend to have the kids, and so I was to be on my own for the next few days. But instead of getting all "woe is me" during those times when I'm here by myself - I try to maximize the days when my children aren't with me - by doing the things that I simply can't do when they are...subsequently I distract myself from missing them so much. Not long ago, I filled the downtime by dating like a muthah...and then penning the deets in my other Big Ugly Blog. Lately though, I have no time to date, since I am perennially scouting out kickass locations and brainstorming ideas for new pics.. If an "ah-HA" moment hits me when I'm minus my kiddles, I get dressed, pack my shit, hustle to my chosen destination, and sometimes spend hours snappin' pics.. After which, I stay up late into the night - downloading and editing the spoils from the day. I swear it's like Christmas, only better because...as I discover the handful of pictures I can actually use, it feels like I'm opening presents for once - YEA! 

By the time my head finally hits the pillow - my body's exhausted, my morale is lifted and my mind's already plotting whatever's next...I can't even tell you how terribly rewarding the entire process has become for me, most especially because I am amply entertained, during my days in a row with no kids...

This past Saturday was no different. The weather was unbelievable...it was warm out but not uncomfortably hot. The azure sky arced domelike overhead, while flocks of curly clouds skittered across it like sheep. The humidity was low which made everything seem extra crisp...so in-focus, in fact - that it almost felt as though I was wearing that pair of prescription glasses I've been desperately needing for years. It was nearly four o'clock, and the slightly acute angle of the sun cast a brilliant, sideways light on every object it touched and the resultant wicked shadows bled like ink into cracks, drawing lines around each detail with the deepest dark black...I knew I just had to get out in that sun, but where on earth could I go? ("C'mon, c'mon...think, Lauralyn - THINK!")

The short trip back home from where my son plays football, takes me past one of my favorite old barns in this area. I love it because there are always black and white dairy cows milling around at its base, and because its kept in immaculate condition...but its best feature is a prominent, glazed brick silo on its facade, which I've daydreamed about exploiting in my pics.. On Saturday though, that barn in that light, looked more amazing than ever, and I instantly decided - "Hell's yeah! I'll shoot THERE!" 

There were a couple of drawbacks to shooting on the old farm - first of all, I was gonna have to trespass. I had no clue where to even begin identifying the owner on such short notice, therefore no way of asking for permission. The good news - I live within walking distance which meant - with no car parked out front, I'd be less apt to advertise to passersby that I was there, right? Uhhhh...no...not exactly. You see, the second problem was that the side of the barn with the silo and all that good sun, is completely visible from the road, sooo...car or no car - folks were still gonna see me...in whatever cockamamie outfit I'd put on...yikes...

In lieu of sporting my naughty milkmaid getup on the jaunt up my road to the farm, I'd opted to wear street clothes, but that meant - changing clothes in the middle of the field (which I did quickly and no one saw, so phew!) Expecting folks to spy me from the road during my shoot though, I had put together an outfit which provided a leetle more coverage than my typical #HNT ensembles. But either the outfit (prairie skirt, apron, bra, bright yellow bucket) or the unusual nature of what I was doing (running back and forth between camera and barn and posing for one shot after another) caused every single vehicle that passed (and there were many) to slow down to 15 mph...or less (a couple passed by more than once - eep!) No doubt I loved having an audience, but it was still somewhat nerve-racking wondering if or when the farmer who tends to the cows, or the property owner might show up...

In order to get the entire barn and silo in each frame, I had to place the camera on the little table, a pretty good distance from where I needed to be situated in each shot. I would set the timer and dash over (barefoot) to get in position and each time, no matter how hard I tried to avoid 'em, my poor abused tootsies would inevitably find a thistle or that other vicious weed with the needly thorns...(It's almost a week later, and I'm still digging prickers outta my feet)

I always look at each pic. after I snap it, to see what I need to switch up in my pose or the angle of the camera...and in reviewing the pics. on my camera's tiny screen, I was tickled with how incredible the barn and sky looked, but at the same time flummoxed by how handily they'd stolen my thunder! When I zoomed in on myself, I essentially cropped out all the good stuff, and in doing so - bastardized the quality and the integrity of the pics.. I was starting to accept that this series of pics. was more about the gorgeous setting and less so - a stage for my theatrics. Quite honestly - by even being in these pics., I feel I detracted from their very aesthetic.

It reminded me of when my (now ex) husband and I while traveling, would quibble over whether or not to include ourselves in snapshots of the famous landmarks that we visited. My husband found the pictures to be boring, unless one or the other of us was in them. I, on the other hand, preferred to capture postcard-like images of only the monuments, that's it. And yet there I was contradicting myself on Saturday, in attempting to upstage such a majestic tableau.

Long story, well...long - after conceding defeat to my surroundings and - not wanting to push my luck by poaching indefinitely, I got dressed and climbed back over the fence to leave. But in glancing to my right, I noticed the most glorious pasture - full of cows, and despite the drought - still somehow lush, but best of all - completely hidden from the road. Once in that field, I got back into costume and took a whole 'nother batch of naughty milkmaid pics....but this time it was all about me! So see? I CAN share the limelight...I just can't quite duck out of it completely...

(Snapped on 9/04/10)

It DOES Get Better Than This, I Promise...

If you ask me, these two photos are only remarkable in that - when I shot them, it was still technically winter. And yet the temperature remained unseasonably sweltering - for two consecutive #HNT shoots in a row! What glorious good fortune to take pics. outside in early April (wearing only the bottom half of a bikini) and NOT freeze my bloomin' (and I mean that quite literally) tuchus off...which in hindsight (pun intended) might've actually been a blessing...since apparently I was a bit "thicker" than I realized, back then...ew? Trust me - the poor composition and boring content of these pics - isn't the only reason I decided to post 'em so small...*cough-cellulite*

The picture above got a few positive comments, which surprised me considering my elbow and toes were lopped off (personal pet peeve) The handstand photo however, earned nothing but silence, and to be frank - I completely understand why... 

I personally find it terribly uninteresting - just sorta static and stark and stale...and I'd otherwise have forgotten it entirely by now, had I not torqued my left ring finger during one attempt to get into a handstand in time. To this day that finger pops outta socket without warning...a constant reminder of how one truly must suffer for their art...haHA! 

These shoots weren't total disappointments though. I was delighted that the sun had worked wonders in washing away my wan, winter pallor. Plus, I'd invested very little time in styling myself beforehand (I did nothing with my hair and didn't bother with make-up) and spent no time preparing the "set"...so it wasn't as if I'd put forth this enormous amount effort, only to have been met by a chorus of chirping crickets. 

(Snapped on 4/17/10)

For my 5th installment to Twitter's #HNT, I selected a black & white photo from this series of pics., in which for some reason - I wasn't blowing a bubble...(wtf?!) In my opinion, the bubble is what makes these pics. cool... well, that and my killah cheetah print couch...But if memory serves me, my body looked better in the blk. & wt. shot, than it does in the color version above (e.g. loose belly skin?)...which would explain why I chose it for my #HNT...*dur*

Sadly, I knew that I'd be relegated back inside my house for this shoot...since the late winter chill had returned for an encore performance, before making its final curtain call. (And - because I'm a wuss about bein' cold) With the venue now determined, the next order of business was to pick a specific room in my house to snap pics.. I settled on the den, largely because - it's one of 3 rooms in the house that my kids and I virtually never occupy, therefore - I wouldn't have to waste precious time tidying-up first. 

The den is where we keep our small collection of books, which since none of us are "readers" would explain why we rarely go in there (sad but true) Nevertheless - "how bout I shoot myself pretending to read" seemed a logical theme for a shoot in that room. I was aware that simply lying on the couch, looking at a book - would pose very little challenge, if any...and upon pondering how I might add an element of difficulty - I thought, "I know - I can try to blow a bubble!" I should mention that, similar to my lack of natural ability to snap my fingers, blowing bubbles has never been my forte...

Suffice it to say, I was able to blow a bubble in 10 seconds (obviously) but in concentrating so hard on that critical aspect, inevitably other details were often neglected, such as: my legs or arms ended up out of frame, or I spaced on getting the entire painting in the shot, things like that. Where I really fell short though, was in paying attention to my body (bad pose) and my face (funny grimace), in each shot where I tried to blow a bubble...

Despite the leg of the couch being somewhat abbreviated and the fact that my foot is not pointed enough (grrrrr), the above photo gets my vote as "the one that's the least bad" - out of the 40 or 50 in the whole lot. It may not be as physically flattering as the one that I chose for #HNT but...the entire painting is visible, same with my body - and I blew a pretty good damn bubble, for pete's sake. 

The Gentle Winds of Hurricane Earl

(Snapped on 9/03/10) 

By last Friday evening, I was feeling sorta guilty about the fact that I hadn't taken any new pictures for four...whole...days - especially since my kids are back in school now...and I have gobs of free time during the day to indulge myself. Thing was though, after a successful shoot at the local fire station on Monday, I felt that I'd ended on enough of a good note, to justify taking a short break from my self-portraits, so that I might (maybe? please?) stay on task creating this new photo blog. And let me just say, that it's no small feat for me to squelch my natural inclination to jump around from project to project (translation = Adult ADHD) and focus on any one of 'em for an uninterrupted period of time...

The weather on Friday had been a bit of a mixed bag...mostly grey though, with brief, intermittent periods during which the sun managed to somehow burn through the heavy low ceiling. I tried comforting myself by blaming another day without pics. - not on my still yet-to-be-unveiled photo blog, but instead - on conditions so unfavorable, that I probably wouldn't have taken any...even if I coulda. Nevertheless, utter discouragement for essentially having nothing to show for the last few days, had begun to override my tenuous positive outlook. I turned my face away from my Mac as I began processing my growing disgust with myself, and out of the window I was surprised to see that the sun had found, and was filtering through several tight chinks in the thick, rolling cloud cover - it's intense rays vividly contrasted against an otherwise deeply shaded group of trees in my yard. Simultaneously, a playful breeze blew in through the open backdoor, and scattered papers from my desk - all over the place. I jumped outta my chair to go outside and see what was up with this dramatic change in the weather, and immediately I knew that it would be practically irresponsible of me to not drop what I was doing and mastermind some way to snap photos amid that insanely gorgeous light and mischievous wind...and FAST!

Powerless to arrest or even slow down the descent of that fantastic evening sun, I knew that - in order to take advantage of it, I'd have to hurry the hell up...which ruled out the option of driving to a specific location. I settled on - hopping my across-the-street neighbor's fence, and hoofing it up to a high spot on her rolling cow pasture...yeah, that would work! There was no time to take a shower, which sucked since I hadn't shaved my armpits or legs since the last shoot (I'd just have to be mindful and not raise my arms over my head). I did have to do something about my hair though, and so I wet it under the faucet and slicked it back and in place using an absurd amount of gel and hairspray (pretty standard fare, anymore). While applying my usual, heavy-on-the-black-eyeliner "stage make-up" - I racked my brain to come up with what in the world I should wear...hmmm......Well, in order to catch a hold of those surprise winds "It needs to be something flowy", I thought as I raced upstairs to rummage through my closet. I chose a dress of lightweight fabric, with a nice full skirt and a long black sash. A minor hissy fit triggered by an uncooperative zipper, threatened to derail the entire process...but a few long, deep breaths were the solution to my agitation and just like that - I zipped my dress and was all set to go! All that was left was to grab my gear, and to get my ass out there before it was too late...

I took the first pic. that night, at 7:17...and the last one was snapped at 8:05...I never dreamed that the sun would afford me 48 whole minutes, to shoot this impromptu set of pics., made possible by gentle Earl and his generous contribution.........awesome...

I reckon I was pretty immersed in what I was doing, because it wasn't until I started packing up my things to head home - that I realized I was encircled by a herd of curious cattle....evidently they aren't really bothered by the color red...whaddya know...