I’m too tired to write a long piece this week. So just enjoy tonight’s sunset and these dozens of images of Bella on a black sand beach on the Big Island of Hawaii.
The Planes Have Flipped Direction. A Storm is Coming.
I live pretty close to the Oakland airport. In general, the planes that land there come in from the South. Take off into the North. Either curving out to sea or rounding the end of the Bay before heading inland. I rarely see much air traffic from here. Today, the approach changed and I can see planes from my studio coming in from the north. This means there’s weather on the way. And it will be coming out of the south, with northerly gusting winds. Its pretty cool to see the planes drop out of the clouds, landing gear down, lights on, bank to the left on approach. When a plane flies into the wind it doesn’t need as much speed to give it lift. Its relative speed is greater with the force of the oncoming wind. At least that’s my educated guess, my limited understanding.
I’ve kind of always noticed small things that many/most people don’t. I think its been integral to my chosen vocation. Maybe its partly why I took to photography early on. Little things matter. A couple degrees of temperature, a fraction of a stop of light on either side of correct. Makes a big impact. Noticing pays dividends. Since I moved to this industrial area of Oakland, more distanced from any kind of natural world, I notice more signs like this. The angle of the Sun throughout the seasons. Frost in the shade. The number of fires in the homeless camps of people trying to stay warm. The signals have changed but the rhythm of the Universe is constant.
Early on in my photographic education, in a Lighting Theory class, my instructor, David Litschel told us in all seriousness, with a little ennui, “After this class, you’ll never be able to watch a movie in the same way again.” He was right. We look for all the technical details. How the scene was lit, how it was shot, what lens was used. I can approximate the aperture used based on the shape of the blur circles of streetlights in the distance of a shot. How much are they pushing the limits of the film or sensor? How much noise or grain is in the shadows? Sometimes I get so wrapped up in breaking down the technical aspects that I lose the plot. I’m not mad at it. I take pride in seeing things nobody else sees. And if a filmmaker’s technique pulls me in, it’s probably a pretty beautiful film.
Learning to notice pays off.
Read more. . . And see all the photos of Nevaeh Lleh by clicking thru.
Of Mice and Men
Three years after the first shut down. In this supposedly post pandemic world. I’ve maybe gotten over the concept that things will ever go back to what we considered normal before. Society has shifted. Maybe for good. Not saying it’s positive or negative, it just is. Live performance venues around the Bay Area are shutting down. Bars and restaurants are struggling. I still don’t have an urge to go out to a crowded bar for happy hour. Are there still happy hours? I don’t exactly know where this feeling is coming from. I’m not afraid. I rarely wear a mask unless I have to. I have no problem being out in the world to take care of business. To work, to shoot. But for some reason, going out just for fun feels a little wrong. It’s more appealing to stay in. Keep gatherings small. Cook at home, order take out. Going out somehow still feels little naughty. A little edgy. Like I said, I don’t know where this is coming from. Is it collective trauma? Echos of the pandemic? When if ever will we get our groove back? Things still feel a little dangerous and uncertain. Fortunately models and artists are pretty eager to collaborate and create again. Like this set with Kamila. @hypeaar on Insta. I caught her on a California tour from Poland. A little modeling, a little Burning Man. It’s a pretty dark and moody set. Maybe that’s what’s got me in this melancholy mood. Maybe things will feel better in the Spring.
If a wave crashes on the shore, and there's no one there to see it, does it earn a like?
I’ve been thinking a lot about social media lately. I think a lot of us are. There was a period of time when it represented a democratization of the tools and reach that are needed as creators to get ourselves in front of a larger, potential audience. Fortunes were won, careers made. “Influencers” rose and fell. A tool for good. Somewhere along the way, the platforms realized their power. Their earning power. And it shifted into something ugly. No longer would I be able to see my friend from college’s latest piece of writing or my neighbor’s latest project. It all got drowned out in a deluge of algorithm driven trash. A tsunami of outlandish, performative, manufactured drivel. I barely open Instagram anymore. Twitter is being driven into the ground by a billionaire man child. People fled. Too hard to whittle the signal from the noise.
So, I ask. If a wave crashes on the shore and there’s no one there to see it, does it earn a like ♥️? Is there a point in creating if no one will see the creation? As a photographer, I create pieces that are meant to be viewed. For whatever reason. To inspire, to give a moment of beauty, of thought, of desire, happiness. Whatever. As a creator, as an artist, if no one will see my work, is it worth making? Is it worth expending my resources of time, energy, money on something that will leave no impression? Is my message lost in the darkness? Am I shouting into the void? These are the thoughts that possess me. So, as a matter of course, I have to ask myself, what does it matter? What does it matter if my works are seen? If my words and images have weight? Is it just ego driven? Do I have some deep need for validation and love that’s not being met? Maybe. Maybe I just want to feel that what I’m doing is worthwhile. To someone. That it matters.
In the course of mulling all this over, I think back to days and experiences like the one below. Times spent creating with and experiencing fellow human beings. Building memories. And fuck yes its worth while. I think back to that day shooting with Bella and what the weather was like. Rainy on the south shore, warm, humid, fragrant. The sound of her voice and the laughter of my friend and assistant Greg. Her friend that happened to be at the beach we were shooting at. Our dinner together and beer that should have been colder. Walking to an active volcano in complete darkness and the smell of sulphur in the air. It all matters. Every image I take is tied to a trove of memories. Memories that build a life. I hear the waves crashing. All I can do is share it with no expectations.
So, with all that in mind, I’m feeling like the only course forward is to create and maintain sites such as this. Longer form words and images that can’t be shown on the platforms anyway. Something that I own and control. Though, sooner or later, the puritanical p@yment pro$$ors will catch on and crack down. Flying under the radar I am. This was never meant to be a money making endeavor. It would be nice, as a way to off set the costs of doing business, but its not necessary. I’d find a way to make these things even if I were flat broke. I can’t not. As of now, I’m reducing the monthly membership to $5. Kind of an experiment, Kind of curious about the price/quantity balance. In all reality, I can’t commit to keeping this thing updated every week, so I make no promises. Your support is appreciated. Oh, and if you’re a current member, feel free to cancel your membership and rejoin at the lower tier. Or it may just re-bill at the lower price. Don’t really know.
Its more about being seen and heard than anything else. Or maybe its just about speaking. Whether it’s heard or not. . .
Bella on Black Sand
I was fortunate to travel to the Big Island of Hawaii with the Day Gig. I had a good bit of free time after our shoot so decided to enlist a local model to create some beauty with. While scrolling through ModelMayhem, I came across Bella Donna (https://www.instagram.com/bellatrixortreat2/) She kind of specializes in taking out of towners around to beautiful shoot spots on the island. She’s had extensive experience as a traveling model, all around the US and recently settled in Hawaii. As soon as she mentioned a black sand beach, I knew that was the spot. With visions of the Wicked Game video by Chris Issak. Directed by Herb Ritts, scantily clad Helena Christensen, black sand, black lingerie, chipped nail polish. 80’s boy’s teenaged dream. This shoot spot was on the other side of the island, requiring a two hour drive over Saddle Road. Arriving a couple hours before sunset, on the west side. Soft subdued light, some dramatic clouds towards the horizon. It was pretty perfect. This beach was known as a clothing optional spot so no one would hassle us for shooting nudes. The only real challenge was cropping out the old naked dude making a fire in our background. We spent an hour and a half shooting then grabbed some dinner. Bella nearly insisted that since we were on that side of the island, that we make an after dark stop at Volcanos National Park on our way home. “You’ll never forget it.” she said. She was right. After a short hike, we arrived at a spot with a view of a glowing, undulating caldera. Steam and smoke escaping into the sky, below the Milky Way. There was something magical about the juxtaposition of the vast night sky and the earth beneath our feet, liquid and churning just a few hundred yards from us. Everything is moving, all the time. Everything.
Makayla in Silver
The take from our tintype shoot a few weeks ago. In all her uncensored glory.
All original 6.5x7 inch available for sale. Enquire here.
Tiffany in Philly
TFW you’re shooting with Tiffany Helms in Philadelphia and things get weird. I was on a work trip/shoot in Pennsylvania and decided to extend for a few days in order to shoot with some models I’d become aware of. Philadelphia for some reason was a small hub for alt models and photographers back in the day. Maybe it was the availability of unique abandoned spaces or just the industrial diaspora that seemed to be everywhere. Grit. Tiffany was the second girl I shot with on that trip. She’s my favorite kind of model to shoot with. Not overly concerned about perfection or standards of beauty. A true art model. It seems that in the years since, she’s developed quite the career as a bubble gum model. Yeah, but no. Its exactly what it sounds like. Check her out: https://www.tiffanyhelmsbubblegum.com Whatever floats your boat. Or bursts your bubble. Anyway she’s wonderful and I would love to work with her again. Bubblegum or no. Oh back to Philly, it does seem like many of the foundational models and photographers from the East Coast have migrated to the North West. The best coast. Legal weed. Liberal attitudes. Keeping it weird. No cheesesteaks in Portland tho. I mean, not really. I need to go back if just for that.
Pretzelle.
What do you think about the vulgarity?
I was on a work trip recently, and one of my teammates, our social video shooter was reading a book by the pool after a long day of work. The cover looked familiar so I asked her what it was. Jitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins. I had brought the same book on the same trip and we were both about a hundred pages in. We briefly talked about the various storylines and plots and the absurdity of it all. “What do you think about the vulgarity?” She asked. There are indeed various scenes and circumstances that are quite vulgar. Prurient. In an almost satirical way that Tom Robbins captures beautifully. I enjoy the vulgarity I replied. I think its my favorite part.
I enjoy the vulgarity. I like holding up and exposing aspects of human desire that maybe we’re ashamed to admit to. That we keep in the shadows. I love that truth. I love all truth. It excites me. Gets the juices flowing. I think part of the reason that we find ourselves in this mess we’re in, is the tendency to suppress and push down our desires. To judge them instead of acknowledging them, allowing them to exist. To breathe. What we decide to do about them is a different animal. But if we can step aside and look at them, diffuse them or embrace them, pack them up and put them aside or hold them up to the light. That’s all individual choice. As long as everyone is consenting, as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else. Embrace your vulgarity. Because it doesn’t ever go away. Its in you. Unless you shine a light into the shadows, darkness remains. Done bun can’t be undone.
Pretzelle
Just up late, working on shit. I liked this. Didn’t want to censor it.
Charlotte in Argyle and Denim
A new post after an extended hiatus. When it rains, it pours. When work becomes non stop there’s little energy for much else. Been thinking a lot about live work balance. When you love what you do, it’s easy to pour yourself into what you’re tasked with. Fortunately it was a temporary situation and now I get some breathing room. Time to do nothing is just as important as working your ass off. Anywho, enjoy these images of Charlotte. Post tintype session. 100+ photos after the Jump.
Cassandra
Shot this stripped down set after a batch of tintypes with Cassandra. It feels kinda appropriate. Things are a bit numb feeling these days as rights are pulled from us left, right and center. I think the goal of splitting up this country into its separate states is actually happening. Fracturing us, keeping us more pliable and easy to manipulate. Arguing amongst ourselves. Easy to harvest from. I mean, that’s the whole plan. The powerful extract the wealth from the populace. Enriching themselves and further insuring their power while we’re bickering with each other over pronouns and religion and guns and abortion. Its exactly what was happening in the years leading up to the American Revolution. England had this colony of exceptionally rugged individuals in a very productive land taken from mostly docile natives and farmed by slaves. The Colonies were a gold mine and we got sick of sending our gold back across the pond for very little in return. If we could stop fighting amongst ourselves and once again throw off the yoke of oppression, maybe we’d get somewhere. But I fear decades of educational neglect, lack of accessible healthcare and piles of junk food and guns have made us too fat and stupid to realize what’s happening and too lazy to do anything about it. Happy 4th of July, America. We had a good run.
Come for the nudity, stay for the biting political commentary. . .
Anyway. Here’s some titties.
Christa
Its a funny thing when someone unexpectedly pops up in your consciousness. Taking you back to another time and place. This time and place was in 2018 in the Santa Cruz mountains on an incredibly beautiful, early Spring day. Christa and I shot together for Me In My Place in her tiny home and on the surrounding property. I’d absolutely love to shoot with her again, but alas, she’s no longer on the West Coast. Maybe someday our paths will cross again. Check out her Instagram for lots more images of this beautifully natural woman.
Mia, Tintype Commission
Mia reached out to me a few months ago via Instagram wanting to set up a tintype shoot. These days, I avoid the types of sittings where the subject hires me to shoot one or two plates. Its a much more fulfilling experience if we spend some time together, work through a number of shots, change wardrobe, feel things out, get to know one another. It becomes more of a collaborative dance as opposed to one and done. It meshes with the slow creation that is wet plate collodion photography.
If you’re in the San Francisco Bay Area and would like to book a shoot, reach out. I only accept one sitting per week. studio@lacuna.one
This is my current working collodion recipe. This is some kind of bastard child between Old Reliable and Old Dead Bride.
In a 100ml beaker add a couple drops of distilled water.
To that, add .75g of Cadmium Bromide
and 1g Potassium Iodide
mix with a glass stir rod to dissolve.
add to that 60ml of Ethanol.
Stir and set aside.
Measure 60ml of USP Collodion using a graduated cylinder.
Pout it into the vessel in which you will keep your final salted collodion.
To the same graduate, measure 32ml of Ether.
Add the Ether to the Collodion and swirl to mix.
Always add your ether to your collodion and not the other way around.
Add the salted alcohol mixture from the beaker into the vessel and mix.
Add either one drop of iodine or a good splash of old working collodion.
Let sit for 24 hours and it will clear. Best to ripen for a week, but its usable right away.
Haley, Part One
Shoots like this are one of the main reasons I started this site. Where else could I post 80+ images, some NSFW. Its a crime to just let them languish away on archived hard drives. Haley has a tremendous eye for all things vintage. With a 60’s femme fatal, film noire flavor. I’m not going to bother expounding further. Just enjoy the images.
In Memoriam. Sharon Marie Quinn.
I can’t remember how Sharon and I connected. Some modeling website perhaps. We grew up in the same town. Went to the same high school. She and I decided to start shooting together. Sets for the now, long defunct Zivity.com. She had a classic, vintage Playboy, girl next door, bombshell aesthetic that is rarely found. She, her husband and I would spend summer afternoons shooting various setups around the property I was living on. He was pretty easy on the eyes too...
We shot together on and off for maybe, twelve years. I can see my technique grow as she and I grew more comfortable together. Became better friends. I’m flattered and honored that I was the first photographer she felt comfortable enough with to pose nude. And one of the only ones. We had a lot of fun. It was helpful that her husband was super supportive and frequently present on our shoots.
Its a funny thing. The relationships you form with people you create with. I can’t say she and I were tremendous friends apart from making pictures together, but we kept tabs on one another. Exchanged random texts. There’s an intimacy that you step into with someone you’re shooting with. Especially if its nude or sensual or erotic. Its a construct you form to make the work you both desire, yet there is a residual closeness because you shared something together. . . It’s a really beautiful container. Someone once said that you fall a little bit in love with everyone you ever photograph. Yeah. . .
Anyway. Below are a few of my favorite images of her over the years. I’ll miss you Sharon. I hope they have bourbon in heaven. I’ll never forget you.
StarBit Volume Two
One more set of StarBit before I head out of state again for another location shoot. Because, why not? In the “spotlight” looking images, I used a shiny board to bounce the setting sun coming in the studio windows onto the set. You don’t realize how fast the sun moves until you use a mirror to bounce a spot of it onto a set.
StarBit Volume One
I’d nearly forgotten about this shoot until today when I was scanning through drives for something new and interesting to post. This is my favorite kind of shoot. Just getting together with a fun and enthusiastic model to play around and see what we end up with. I wanted to change the orientation of my set 90 degrees so she was being lit directly by the north west facing floor to ceiling windows behind me. Normally my set ends up being side lit from the left. Its a funny and small thing but I especially like how the floorboards run into the set instead of perpendicular. Freyja, AKA StarBit seems to have disappeared from social media. Seems like this happens from time to time. Maybe modeling was a phase, maybe she too like so many of us just became burnt out on feeling the need to constantly create and post snippets from your life and adventures to remain relevant and visible. She was a lot of fun to shoot with. Quiet and seeming a little shy, but also powerful in her confidence and fearlessness. Generous with her expressions and poses. Need to bookmark this feeling so I can chase it once more. I could have sworn we had shot some tintypes, but can’t for the life of me find any. . . As I tend to do, I shot a ton of images on this day. So there will be three or four more sets coming along some day.
Verronica Part Two
Just a quick update this week. Busy packing for an early departure tomorrow morning to go shoot for a week in the snow. The second batch of images from my shoot with Verronica from a ways back. Today’s weather feels a lot like the day these photos were taken. Hard to imagine that in eighteen hours or so, I’ll be under a winter storm watch. Hearing these reports from all across the country of wide temperature swings and shifting weather. Spring time under the new normal. Let go and enjoy I guess. Click one of the images to get to the members only gallery. 46 more images online. Give Verronica Kirei a follow on Insta here: instagram.com/verronica_
naked is not illegal
From time to time, I’ll post images that don’t meet the “community standards” of gate kept platforms. A simple figure study is somehow highly offensive. Think of the children.
This is a tintype of Julia I shot last weekend Something very classic about it. Oh, and yesterday was Edward Weston’s birthday. 136 I believe. . .
Heather On White
Heather posted an image from this shoot today on her Instagram and I had almost forgot about it. There’s actually enough materiel from this day for at least two or three more sets. This is super stripped down, shot in the natural light studio on white, with a white plexiglass surface, ending with some yoga poses. There are hardly any safe for work images to use as previews so make sure you click through to see the whole thing.