I would just like to wish a very happy birthday to a phenomenally talented woman who has reached the gorgeous age of 40 today. athansor.deviantart.com/ … the moment I was born, she was my best buddy. I adored her. If I told you the things we used to sit around talking about (like her drilling me over old Star Trek episodes and actors- especially guest stars in particular episodes), you just wouldn't understand how great she was.
She's a jellyfish. Well, my mom and I say that in jest, and it's true over things that don't really count. She has no backbone over things like cutting off conversations with overly excited McDonald's employees in the drive-through who don't want to stop talking to her because she is the nicest person they have ever encountered and they just want to make that moment last forever. She's nice. She's REALLY nice. In fact, she's the nicest person I've ever met...but just try saying or doing anything bad to anyone she loves and that backbone will appear with a sword or two in her hands.
She was born an artist but not a self-promoter. It makes me sad. I have less talent but more bravado, and so people may notice me more. Things are easier for me...I wish that I could make them easier for her. By all rights, she should be a fantastically successful photographer and/or professional photoshopper. She's much better with photoshop than the professionals in many fashion magazines. Further, when she takes photos, she manages to capture that thing inside of people that makes them beautiful...even if they are cross-eyed with buck teeth, they are beautiful when seen through her lens. I think that that's what finally peaked my interest in portraits. I never liked having people "ruin" my photos (by being in them) before. Seeing her develop as a photographer really inspired me to see people differently.
She had always dreamed of doing nudes and semi-nudes but was unsure of how to get started, she's shy and lacks bravado- as I said. I was her first nude and semi-nude shoot. I was nervous to do them, but she's one of...O.K., I'm shy despite myself and she was the only person I would have done that for because there are few things that I could give her that she couldn't get for herself and I really wanted to give her this experience because she deserved it. The results? Well, I think that her style expanded. Since then, she's grown by leaps and bounds and today is incredibly talented (she was only very talented before).
To celebrate her birthday, my best friend and I decided that the best thing that we could possibly do was to experience Madrid, my city, through the eyes of harlequins (in photos). We enlisted the help of a good friend of mine who has a fantastic new camera, an good eye and works with photoshop professionally. The three of us spent the day wandering the more interesting sights in Madrid, taking photos, stopping occasionally in bars for drinks and tapas. Mark and I were truly amazed to experience a city from the point of view of entertainers. People open up to you, they stare, children cry or laugh...and old men found me really REALLY hot. (O.K., that was the really weird part- we couldn't get over how hot and bothered men seemed to get over me, especially really old men.) We wanted to tell a story and originally envisioned, "Harlequins on Holiday in Madrid". Interestingly, as we moved through the day, another story developed which was ultimately a tragic one.
The people involved in the story were Madrilenos, emigrants and tourists...even a construction worker. People were fantastically friendly and helpful and we brought quite a few smiles to faces.
I'm just posting a taste now. The story must be developed and the photos worked on a bit. My friend Roland took the photos, so they will not be posted immediately.
It's a dangerous business, going out your door. You step into the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to. -the Hobbit
ShopDreamUp AI ArtDreamUp
Harlequins
My best friend is in town for two weeks and we found harlequin costumes yesterday!!! We were so excited- they were from the "expensive to rent" section of my local costume shop and they were being retired. We were told 35 euros apiece but they gave them to us for 30 each instead :-) for which we were very grateful :frail:
Putting the makeup on was very difficult. I did both of our makeup and the pics were a collaborative effort between us, where both were involved in modeling, directing and taking the photos.
Incidentally- he's NOT gay....everyone looks gay in a harlequin costume. :frail:
:-)
new session...
I've just recently met a lovely young woman, www.OccupationalHedonist.deviantart.com
We've had a lot of chocolate and wine time together over the last couple of weekends and this weekend she agreed to pose for me (provided there was enough chocolate and wine). We had a lot of fun and gave up with the fading sunlight and when she'd had excessive amounts of wine (she was SOOOO much more relaxed in the 2nd or third photo sets!! :lol")
:frail:
not quite an automated statement
I've been away- oraganising, dealing with my new life and trying to arrange a new income. I think I might have pulled it off- with a raise, despite working less than half of the hours I was pulling before. The first week of not working 15 hour days, I disconnected. I didn't read emails, I didn't answer text messages and barely answered my phone. I slept constantly when not working. It turns out that my body hadn't forgotten all of the missed hours of sleep in 8 months of 15 hour days and 4 hours of sleep, and it intended to reclaim every lost hour. I was alarmed- but decided to let it run its course (while secretly hoping it wasn't symp
art is pain
Ok, I don't actually believe that as an all encompassing statement, but I do believe that pain and adversity can push people to the limits of their art. I've never taken painful photographs before. I'm not sure that I'm brave enough to do it with another person yet. It's very vulnerable. Something came up last night that I wanted to capture and explore, because it's the only means I have of touching it, exploring it. This series is dedicated to exploring something I never have.
:frail:
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(LOL--and I'd forgotten about drilling you on Trek episodes--and their guest stars! You poor thing! )
My birthday, btw, was very low-key. Flowers from Jack, of course, oatmeal cookies from a co-worker, and that was it. Jack was worn out over something, and so mostly I listened to him, that evening... Mom called on her way to work the day before to wish me a happy birthday while she remembered (I love that my family is so lax with time! ), and that's about it. Pleasant...but one of those "it slid right by" kinds of birthdays. Which was fine, as this month has been fulll of busy-ness--and there really wasn't time for a birthday. All in all--I can't think of how it could have been more suitable.
My birthday, btw, was very low-key. Flowers from Jack, of course, oatmeal cookies from a co-worker, and that was it. Jack was worn out over something, and so mostly I listened to him, that evening... Mom called on her way to work the day before to wish me a happy birthday while she remembered (I love that my family is so lax with time! ), and that's about it. Pleasant...but one of those "it slid right by" kinds of birthdays. Which was fine, as this month has been fulll of busy-ness--and there really wasn't time for a birthday. All in all--I can't think of how it could have been more suitable.