buzzzzz

I've been in buzzing mode for the past week or so. No, I'm not actually buzzing or buzzed. No ingested chemicals have caused this state of mind. So, the word seems a bit arbitrary, but to me it most accurately describes what I'm feeling right now.

I've completely dived into researching various medium format cameras and various kinds of 120 film. Not only because of my interest, but also for the distraction.

The problem is... all I'm coming up with are subjective opinions from others via forums and photo sites. I guess its not really a problem, per se, but when I read oodles and oodles of posts about people arguing over film; Kodak vs Fuji, Ilford vs Agfa, slide vs color neg, and all the debates of specific films (Velvia vs Agfa Ultra, Tmax vs Tri-x, Delta vs HP5+, Superia vs Reala, ___chrome vs ___chrome, the list extends on to infinity... and I haven't even touched debates over developing/developers), I've basically compiled all my research and it chalks up to: You can't really rely on any specific suggestions. Some general ones you can accept - with a grain of salt.

It boils down to that I just gotta get out there and shoot as much film as I can and discover my preferences.

Someone very, very generous is giving me a Lubitel 166+ Universal TLR. It looks so peeerty. But then again, I have an instant attraction to TLRs... for some reason. AND, this camera even has a self-timer!... but its broken and probably can't be fixed easily. But hey, that's okay!



I think I'm stocked up on MF cameras for a while. Now I just need film. And lots of it.

And when I need/want a change, I'll go back to my two lovely 35mm cameras.




I'm really excited to try multiple exposures. In fact, I really want to swap rolls with someone in another city (cough cough Erin) and see what we produce.



I don't just want to take pictures, I want to create pictures. I want each exposure to be a canvas. I want to experiment, and I want to have fun. I want to be inhibited, so before each exposure my camera will slap down a shot. I dont want to take pictures of models, or scenery, or buildings - I want to create pictures of people. Of places. Of things. Sometimes I'm going to want to create pictures of everything and nothing - at the same time. Sometimes I'll let the camera take creation into its own hands, and sometimes I'll force it to do my bidding. Sometimes I'll be aiming to create something sober, sometimes something drunk. Sometimes realistic, sometimes bizarre. Sometimes I'll ask my camera to lie, sometimes I'll insist it be truthful. Sometimes I'll be neglectful, and sometimes I'll be clingy. Sometimes the camera and I will battle and fight, and sometimes we will sing harmoniously.

We'll have great adventures, my cameras and I.






_____________

Christopher Ryan.

Because I can't wait.

I need to show you the rest of Doctor Horribe's Sing Along Blog. I hope you've enjoyed it. It's quite a treat, isn't it? :)







And of course, other artistic nude photo. This is is of me in Montana off of a popular trail in Glacier National Park photographed by Dave Levingston.




____________________

Dave Levingston.

Twilight Galaxy

Did they tell you, you should grow up
When you wanted to dream
Did they warn you, better shape up
If you want to succeed
I don't know about you, who are they talking to?
They aren't talking to me

I'm higher than high, lower than deep
I'm doing it wrong, singing along

Did I ask you for attention
When affection is what I need?
Thinking sorrow is perfection
I would wallow till you told me
There's no glitter in the gutter
There's no twilight galaxy

I'm alright, c'mon baby
I've seen all the demons that you've got.
If you're not alright, now c'mon baby
I'll pick you up and take you where you want
Anywhere you want
Anything you want


Metric. Which I didn't get to see. (Sad face.)




Surrounded by wonderful company, I still feel awfully alone without that someone special.




fyi: I have my facebook account back!

____________________

Christopher Ryan

Coming and Going

I'm back from my vacation!






Matt and I had an amazing time, despite the so-so weather we had. Every day, save maybe one, there was rain. But not to worry, it was not nearly as bad as one would think especially as most of those days it also cleared up and were wonderfully sunny and beautiful.

A couple of the nights were clear and absolutely amazing. Thursday night Matt and I went out lightpainting on the shore, and we got to witness a spectacular red moon rise. It was one of the best moments on the trip, by far.

The trip wrapped up quite wonderfully with the arrival of Dave, Roberta and jolly ol' Lasha. Some of the best company in world. They were kind enough to feed Matt and I, and I think I kind of shocked Roberta with my Sriracha consumption.

Matt and I had the pleasure of introducing Dave to a new area on the north shore that he had never seen before. I think he got a real kick out of it. We shot there all of Saturday late afternoon and night. It was absolutely wonderful, expect for the mosquitoes. I still have itchy bites all over me!

So I'm home for a quick respite and then Thursday I'm off to Allentown, PA until Tuesday. I'm very, very excited for the trip and shooting with some fabulous photographers, and hanging out with them, but I'm equally excited to see my utmost favorite band, Metric, live for the very first time Friday night in Philly, hopefully accompanied by friend and fellow art model Lela Rae. It will be awesome!


Here are some photos from my shoot with Christopher Ryan, a fantastic art nude photographer from Lakeside, Montana (one of the only photographers of such high caliber from that huge state!). We had an amazing shoot, and I think it really shows from our photos. I'm so very happy with the results and having the opportunity to meet with and shoot with both Chris and his wife 'Tina. We will work together again, that I can promise you.






On a side note, my Facebook account got disabled for "misusing" the terms of their Code of Conduct. Which is completely oppressive and utter bullshit, but I'm purposefully being a pushover in order to get my account back. Here's a copy of what I sent them.

"I think my account was deleted by mistake. "Our Code of Conduct outlines the types of content we do not allow on the site. This includes any obscene, pornographic, or sexually explicit photos, as well as any photos that depict graphic violence." Your code of conduct does not apply to any of my images, as they are artistic in nature and none of them are obscene, pornographic or sexually explicit. Nor do I have them viewable to the public and have them restricted to only my friends that are also in the same photographic field as I am. But if this is still not acceptable, I will take down all my images of that nature, and will stop importing my blog to my notes.

Please let me know what I have to do to get my account back."

Grrrrr.

Watch out, it's RANT time.

I wish I could be an art model, traveling around the world, posing for photographers, painters, drawers, sculptors and artists alike as my full-time career. Nothing else gives me as much pleasure than participating in the creative process, collaborating to create art. It seems like it could even be feasible... if there was an active market and demand for figure art. If only more societies were more reverent instead of ashamed of the nude body. It just makes sense to me to consider the body a natural and beautiful thing. I mean, its not like we were born wearing clothes!

Clothes (or animal hides way back in the day) originally were made/used only to protect us from the harsh elements in extreme climates. They were never meant to hide the body or our sex. Knowledge did not create this shame we have for the naked body. There was no apple, there was no garden, there was no adam and eve, and the whole fucking world was not created in 6 days. And anyone that disagrees with me and believes in creationism can kiss my blasphemous, bible-hating, pro-nude ass and leave my blog right now as you are not welcome here anyway. Wait a minute, you'd probably like kissing my ass and... what the hell are you doing at a "objectionable content" blog anyway? You hypocritical heathen!!

Okay, I was unnecessarily nasty there, and if I look at it from the other perspective, I get it. And its not all their fault. Examining my own pre-modeling attitudes about nakedness in hindsight, I know I was ashamed of my nakedness. Most are raised to believe that nakedness is wrong and only meant for our husband/wife. But yet, we accept and sometimes greatly admire paintings and sculptures in museums of the naked figure. People need to realize this hypocrisy and challenge the beliefs that they were raised with. But people clinging on to their ignorance for the sake of their personal comfort have absolutely no sympathy or even an ounce of respect from me. But who cares right? Its not like those people would want my respect anyway.

Like most lewd accusations in this country, you are considered guilty until proven innocent. We'd like to think it's the other way around, and our judicial system is based off of it, but do most authorities truly believe it? Correct me if I'm wrong (Stephen), but if the focus of the picture (and how wide or narrow is that interpretation?) is of the pubic area, and you dont manage a nearly impossible record keeping system of photos taken after March 18th 2009, under the 2257 amendment, you are breaking the law despite what your intent is. Now I know that the purpose or intent of this amendment is to try and cut back on the number of inappropriate photographs taken of minors, and reducing the production of child pornography. And I unequivocally agree that child pornography is horrible, disgusting and absolutely unacceptable. But does anyone honestly believe that this will stop or even deter the production of child pornography? I honestly don't. All it is is just a real pain in the ass for nude photographers and possibly even for nude models.

I know I don't have much to worry about 2257 with my art, but it still bothers me that the following pictures would be considered inappropriate by the vast majority of people only because I'm nude in them.





sigh.

Wow. That was quite a rant, and I'm sorry, only because I know I'm preachin' to the choir.

-----

The trip is still going magnificently.

We (Gaea, 'Tina and I) were pretty cold this morning, okay, we were FREEZING at our shoot, as it was 45 degrees, very windy with no sun. (For evidence, look to Dave's post from today). But we pushed through it, and we got some wonderful photos, including the one up above with the roots of the tree. For some reason, probably because of the wind, I was more cold today than yesterday posing in the rain with that huge ice chunk.

Hopefully tomorrow will be warmer.

And speaking of temperatures, how come when I leave Minnesota it finally decides to get unseasonably warm? I heard yesterday's temperature of 97 shattered the previous record of 87 back from 1977. Now that's hot!

Oh well. I probably would have just stayed inside with the air conditioning on anyways.

-----

As a couple of lovely side notes, Matt Scherfenberg got featured for the first time on Univers d'Artistes! So check it out! It was long overdue in my (highly biased) opinion.

And I got featured a couple days before that in my first interview on UdA, by Unbearable Lightness and was made an Art Editor of Univers d'Artistes! I'm very honored!

___________________

Photos by the near and dear, Dave Levingston.

Big Sky Country

So, did anyone else, other than me, fail to realize just how fricken big Montana is? Yeah, its huge.

Dave, Gaea and I are having a lovely time out here. I'll leave you to Dave's blog for more specific examples of our adventures.

One adventure we did have yesterday was a long 2 mile uphill hike along Avalanche Creek to Avalanche Lake. We thought the trail might never end, but of course it did, and it was completely worth the hike and the stiff and sore legs I have today.

Here's the view we had.

Yeah, its gorgeous out here.

------

On Sunday, I got to meet and shoot with Chris Ryan and I also got to meet his lovely wife 'Tina. They are both outstanding people, and I had a wonderful time with them both. We shot in two different locations: one in an old barn and one on the receded north shore of Flathead lake. Here's a (not so lovely) "tourist" photo of me from the beach.

The driftwood makes for excellent shooting possibilities. I'll get to experience this awesome location again when Dave shoots me, Gaea and Tina here tomorrow.


I did shoot early this morning with Dave for about 10 minutes despite it raining quite steadily and the brisk 45 degree temperature. But Dave got the shot and, as always, it's always worth it for Art. But Art wore us out yesterday and today, so we have all decided to take the rest of the rainy day off.