Showing posts with label Sarah Ellis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sarah Ellis. Show all posts

Monday, June 21, 2010

A woman ...

One of my distant pen-lovers somewhere in this world sent me following truth:


A woman needs a man who takes good care of her,

A man who can make her laugh out loud,

A man who makes her feel as if she’s the most important woman in the world to him

A man who takes her breath away

A man who stimulates her mind


And it’s important that these five men never meet each other!



Being a man, this reads also very true as:



A man needs a woman who takes good care of him,

A woman who can make him laugh out loud,

A woman who makes him feel as if he's the most important man in the world to her,

A woman who takes his breath away

A woman who stimulates his mind


And it's equally important that these five women never meet each other !


* * *


How does one roll 5 women into one and ensure they never meet each other ?


* * *


These two women do take my breath away ... this was shot in December 2009 and is part of a book being laid out for print.


I've worked multiple times with Sarah and Natalia.


Looking forward creating more with these talented models.



Friday, September 11, 2009

The Red Knight - Part 1a

I'm repeating part of an earlier blog post to ensure an easier follow up connection with an upcoming personal story
* * *
The Willy Vandersteen strip series "De Rode Ridder" or "The Red Knight" with over 200 albums published between 1959 and today has a serious impact on my life ...

Johan (John) , the Red Knight, is the main character in these strip albums. His character embodies the chivalric ideal ... brave to the point of intrepid ... loyal and of course, an expert swordsman ...


In most of the albums he's a traveling knight fighting all sorts of evil threatening peaceful communities ... his travel have brought him all over the world ... Egypt, South America, Atlantis (!) , China etc. ... even outer space figured as a background for a couple of stories ...


Chronologically the stories are placed from the 6th century to the 16th century, thus covering a wide range of historical events. King Arthur, Crusades, Battle of the Golden Spurs and 15-16th centurylife in Flanders.


These strips always featured gorgeous damsels in distress in need of rescue ... and were pretty much the sexiest books I got my hands on in elementary school ... lol ...


Relationships are purely platonic in line with the ideals of chivalric duties.


The Red Knight however is in love with Galaxa, the Faerie of Light. She can only appear for a few brief moments in Johan's world. Together however they fight evil and injustice in the hope to be joined together in a future ...



There is also considerable romantic tension suggested between the Red Knight and Demonia, the henchwoman from Bahaal, the Prince of Darkness.


Other recurring women in the strip are Morning Star and Isjtar, both loyal colleague faeries from Galaxia, always ready to give a lending hand when Galaxia is weakened in battles with Demonia.



As such these strips have appeal for both teenagers and adults alike ...



The women in this strip series do not follow the stereotypes of the historical background.
These woman are all emancipated, independent, love their personal freedom and all have important responsibilities to fulfill in the story.


Although The Red Knight often has to rescue damsels in distress, they are all strong women.


The Red Knight's unobtainable love for Galaxia is often the driver for his actions and needless to say that all plots have a happy ending.


* * *


The Red Knight is looking for a damsel that is not in distress ...
... but what would the Red Knight do with a damsel that is not in distress ? ...


* * *


Images from the August 30 shoot with Sarah Ellis and Kayla, make-up and hair,
Lauren Warner


Monday, May 11, 2009

Business as usual ?

Everyone is talking so much recession that it has become a depression ... in a recession you can expect things to bounce back to business as usual ... in a depression you're left with a landscape that is altered forever ... 

The future is to the disruptive innovators ... those who can see beyond the horizon and are not afraid to cannibalize and reinvent themselves over and over again ...

*   *   *

It seems like many lifetimes since I've done a shoot ... retouching images ... retouching memories ... 

*   *   *

I love waiting to retouch a shoot from time to time or to leave critical images for a later time ... it makes it so much easier to disconnect from the emotion of the moment and see images for the pure value of it ... the visual and emotional aspects... taking a step back and gaining a different perspective rather than being caught up in the futility of the moment

*   *   *

Dreamt about the Red Barn again ... funny ... still working on it ... never ending work of love ...

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

My backyard ...

Images from a recent shoot in my backyard ... make up by Chrystal Saville

All natural lighting ... vintage wardrobe ... D3 with my incomparable 105mm F2.0 DC lens ...

This lens is enough reason to own a Nikon camera ...

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Brussels - Philiadelphia - San Francisco

Yes ... on my way back home ... long travel ahead ...

It was good to see all the family pulling together ... it was also good to see my two sons on the occasion and spend some time with them talking about what's important in their lives at this point.

I have 4 sisters and I sure hope that the passing of mom doesn't mean we don't get to see each other together anymore ... everyone would get together out our mom's home of 40 years ... things will be different now ... we'll need to come up with a way to continue somehow this tradition of getting all together around the table once and a while

Brussels Airport lounges are high-way robbery when it comes to Internet access.  Just paid 20 Euro for 4 hours of wireless access ... need only an hour but this is the smallest package available ... corporate greed ?

Edited some pics on this trip ... need to send them out when I'm home ...

Time to go to the gate ...




Continued ...

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Friday, December 12, 2008

My week in 11 lines ...

Solving business problems over the phone

Retouching images

Staying out of trouble

Working with the best

The very best

Shooting interaction

Thinking about mom

Travel, visiting my daughter Amarilla

Changing plans

Living a changed dynamic

Happy


Friday, November 28, 2008

Thanksgiving 2008

Thanksgiving 2008 was a different experience thanks to an invitation of NatLight Studios to participate in a city shoot ... and what it shoot it was !  Images below show me in action and are courtesy (c) of NatLight Studios. 

Model is Sarah Ellis, make-up by Lauren Warner.

It is inevitable to have a few funny things happening during a public shoot.  

First of all, our ad hoc "audience" was always very respectful and at no time were there any disturbances.

The shoot was always low key when children were in the neighborhood.


At times the crowd would applaud the model after the location session.

One young gentleman asked me if I would shoot him just when we were moving on to another spot.

I had given hem my business card and he called within 5 minutes to find out where the next shooting location was going to be ... ;-) ... we made a fan !

All had fun and we shot some top notch images.

No animals were harmed during this production ... (j/k)

Wednesday, November 5, 2008

The Lioness Den - Part Two

Having fun ...

First time meet ...

Bonding ...

From left to right ...

April

Sarah

Carly

Susie


I can climb the wall in boots ...
Susie is bouldering 20 feet up ...









Sarah climbing the wall ... no boots ...











We made it up there ... top of the world !























Never turn your back on goofballs ... they might stick their tongue out and flash you ...












The Lioness Den ...













4 Lionesses basking in the sunset light ...












Having fun ...

Saturday, November 1, 2008

The Lioness Den - Part One

On October 29, 2008 the stars aligned and 4 top models showed up in my studio ... with that much talent, anything is possible.

Carly Erin was first in town.  We had worked together in the studio somewhere in February 08 and that was the beginning of my fruit and vegetable series ... that was also the first shoot where I felt I was on to something that I could develop in something more than just snapshots

This time I was using dried artichokes on the shoot and Carly was joined in  the studio shoot session by April and Sarah Ellis.  The 29th was Carly's last day of shooting during her San Francisco trip.


April had arrived earlier in the week and was using my studio as a base to work with other photographers in the Bay Area.

We worked quite a few life style shoots during April's stay and it was good to create together again after our shoots in London and Los Angeles.  

April can handle a wide range and is equally comfortable in fashion, lifestyle and fine art.

Ms Susie B arrived on the 29th for her first working tour of the Bay Area.   She flew in from NM where we worked together a couple of weeks agon on a life style and fine art location shoot in Santa Fe.  We never found route 66 but that is another story ... ;-)

We intercepted her at the Walnut Creek BART on our way to the outdoor shooting location.

Susie, we know that San Francisco is cold for a New Mexico girl but I do believe you are slightly overdressed ... lol ... on the other hand, I've never seen anyone climb a vertical rock wall like you do ... in boots ...

Last but not in the least ... Sarah Ellis doesn't need introduction anymore if you're following my blog.  

We've worked many times together now and lost track of the number of shoots as I have only two hands to count on ...

After the shoot we all went for dinner and had fun getting these family pictures taken.  

Thanks Carly for taking care of shooting Sarah, April and Susie.  Susie in turn shot Carly ...

For those not knowing CarlyErin, she's a great photographer, MUA, retoucher and model.

Me ... had nothing to do with the family pics, just a willing victim with a big grin as we all had a great day of collaboration,  camaraderie  and discovery as none of the models had ever worked together on a shoot ... I was priveledged to have all this talent together in one spot, quite an unique occasion.

Quoting Carly sums it pretty much up ...

"OMG !!!! I had sooooo much fun ... Thanks so much for having me and putting what I know will be some new friends in my life ;-)   All those girls are so wonderful ;-) ... See you soon darling !"

Images to be retouched shortly ...

Continued ...

Saturday, October 25, 2008

I choose to heal ... rather than wound ...

April is in town.
Natalia is in town.
Vassanta is in town.
Carly Erin is in town.
Sarah Ellis is in town.

Elley S is coming to town
Ms Susie B is coming to town
Candace Nirwana is coming to town










... and I'm shooting with them all ...



Friday, October 10, 2008

Friday ... yes ... Weekend ... no ...

... but more report writing ... this seems to be the outlook for my weekend ...

*   *   *

A couple of quick retouches between two phone call conferences.  

Shooting this sequence left me a puddle ... Sarah Ellis in Studio #405 in Los Angeles




Thursday, October 2, 2008

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Feeling a lot better, my body is returning to normal, emergency room visit didn't shot any signs or cardiac enzymes ... just a major anxiety adrenaline overdose ... weird what emotional upset can do to you.

*   *   *

Worked a couple of hot issues at work, nothing major but it shows once more that proper project management of large engineering projects remains a difficult thing to do regardless of how dedicated the team is.

*   *   *

It feels so good to have friends take you out for lunch ...

*   *   *

Finished some more retouches of the shoot with Sarah Ellis and her "virgin model" friend Rachel ... lol ... I still think fondly about this shoot and all the new friendships this brought ... there were a lot of "first's" happening that day ...  all brought good things ...

Although this was Rachel's first shoot ever, the deep friendship between these two models showed through and resulted in an interaction that would be difficult to achieve by any other means.  I was my privilege to capture this.  

It is once more not about the posing but again about the connection.  Make up by Lauren Warner.















I also blogged about this shoot on August 26, 08.

Continued ...

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Sarah Ellis ... no words needed ...















Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Playa Beach, Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Couple of head shot edits from our walk on Playa Beach.

I love to tone black and white prints and I even go as far as avoiding the typical black and white photoshop conversion at all

This takes a little more time but the end result is well worth it.  

Playing with contrast and toning color allows for the creation of all types of vintage feels typically associated with film chemistry.

Even in color images I tend to look for a slight retro look by toning and contrast enhancing the digital image.

I still have a Nikon F5 film camera but I seldom use it anymore.  It is harder and harder to find good film development labs and print houses.

Never owned nor worked in a chemical darkroom so I'm limited to a digital version or Photoshop.

I'm really happy how this shoot session came out ... the focus was on the face ... no fancy wardrobe and the $10 Target glasses set the tone for an uncomplicated editorial photojournalist shoot.

The light that afternoon was too strong to do the shoot without any type of extra dark shades.  Just uncomfortable to work as I experienced first hand ... I had to leave my shades in my pocket as I was shooting and one and other is mutual exclusive.

Working with Sarah Ellis made this almost a walk in the park.  She senses the direction the photographer wants to work in ...  add to that precise directions and each shot will meet expectation.

It is crucial in my opinion to develop a good working relationship with a model and the latter includes a general direction plan for each shoot plus the ability to direct the model while posing or moving freely in space.  

I prefer the latter, it becomes a give and take ... photographer direction versus model improvisation.

Continued ...