Playboy Bunny Shoot?

I have not written for my blog in some time.  I recently spent a few days with a new friend who mentioned some things she'd read in my blog, and it pleased me to hear that she'd read that.  My main purpose in writing here is to express what's going on with my thinking and emotions as I consider, prepare for, execute, and post process a shoot.  It has pretty much been my assumption that people, if they read my blog, were mostly coming here to see if I had any more titillating images to view.  Heck, I admittedly pepper a few images in here, in part, for that purpose (of course, everything is rated PG).

Today I feel like sharing some recent experiences, so I think about where to write them down.  I open up by blog, and I am happy to see that quite a few people have been viewing my pages, even though I haven't put any new entries in here for months.  The fact is, I love to create images.  It could be images through the lens of a camera, or through my words.  If there is an audience, that is really appreciated, but in fact it is secondary to the creation itself.

Onto the topic of the day.  Shooting a Playboy model.  That's what you all tuned in for, after all.

Time Spent - Not Wasted

Here I am at "The Coffee Society", not far from my home, enjoying one of the best lattes in the area, and preparing to do a bit of writing.  I have to admit that I particularly enjoy doing this, even though I look back and see I haven't made an entry for a good many months.

I just got back from taking a run in the slight drizzle, after waking up from a long nights' sleep.  I look in my living room, and remember that I still have to take down my studio setup, which is in that state due to a photo shoot planned for yesterday that never materialized (I think the model was abducted by aliens - that is the most common cause for photo shoots being abandoned - scientifically proven).

Here's a shot which partially shows the setup I put in place:

It't a bit dark, I know, but the idea is to give just a rough sense of having a setup in place.  It's really expensive to rent just about anything in the San Francisco area, and I can't afford to rent out a studio full time.  So I have enough space in my house that I just move all my furniture somewhere else, then set up my backdrop and studio lights to create a photo studio.  It's not perfect, but I get pretty decent results, and I know it's more than many other people in this area have.  So I count my lucky stars and make it work.  (Of course I would love to have 2000 sq. feet, with 18 foot ceilings, etc.).  Plus I'm forced to be innovative - that's not a bad thing.

Working With a Pro

I love working with the models and developing beautiful images together - something that hadn't existed before we put our efforts together and created something the world would never have seen before.  It's a process that gives me a big charge, and even though I like to work with new models, even those that have never taken part in a serious shoot before, there is a distinctive freedom, almost a luxury, in working with a real pro.  I had that pleasure this past weekend.

Through circumstance and a bit of luck I was able to book some time with the lovely Ms. Jacqueline Tang.  We had exchanged a few emails, but since she's not in the San Francisco area full time these days, it seemed it would be difficult to arrange.  However, I got a note from her a few days before this past weekend indicating that she'd be in the area, and had some time to shoot.  I didn't have anyone booked that day, so we quickly put a plan together.

Give the Model Copies - or Not?

Up this this point, I have consistently - each and every time - provided models who've worked with me a copy of every photo we've taken in a session.  Every one of them, except for those I've culled right off the bat for being little more than a waste of storage space (flash not firing, eyes blinking, out of focus, etc.).  The copies I send the models are "as shot", except for maybe doing a white balance adjustment.  They're not large copies, usually between 640 and 1000 pixels on the long side.  Still, large enough for the model to have a good idea of how the shot came out.  There are a lot of reasons I provide these to the model, though recently I'm rethinking this.  Should I really be doing this?

Reflections from Recent Trip - Second Installment

I left Bangkok after having completed a shoot with Nardia and Nattimus, bound for Hong Kong. I didn''t have any shoots lined up in Hong Kong, nor in any cities in China for that matter. I'd had a few email exchanges with some models discovered through Model Mayhem, as well as a couple referrals from another photographer in Hong Kong, and an (unsuccessful) attempt to connect through a Chinese language MM equivalent. However, none of these resulted in a clear agreement to shoot, or were in some indeterminate state before I'd actually arrived in Hong Kong.

It would have been quite easy to arrange for shoots in Hong Kong proper, but I had avoided plans to shoot there. Hotels in Hong Kong are just incredibly expensive and/or small, so I didn't want to fork out the huge cash outlay just to shoot in a decent place in Hong Kong, especially because I'd been to HKG so many times already. Also, since I'm able to speak some Chinese (Mandarin), and always trying to learn more, I really wanted to go into China where I would be more compelled to use my Chinese. I also had plans to visit a friend who is currently living in Zhongshan (a small city not far from Hong Kong, but in China), so I figured I'd go up to Guangzhou after visiting my friend.

Notes from My Recent Trip

I just got back, well let's say about a week ago, from my trip and now I'm more or less adjusted to the time difference, and (somewhat) adjusted to my day job.  That is, mild mannered, cubicle confined program manager for a software company.  Whenever I get back from a trip, I feel the withdrawal and the stark contrast of living a "creative" life day by day, and being surrounded by "life" as I wander the streets of various Asian cities.  It's not easy for me to put myself back in a box, and go back to the daily grind.  But, it "pays the bills" as they say, and keeps me funded for travels, photo shoots, and life in general.

During this past trip, I stopped in Bangkok for about four days, prior to hopping back to Hong Kong, which was really just a gateway for me into Southern China.  I only stayed one night in Hong Kong.  I had elected to go to Bangkok for a few days mainly to get away from cold weather for a few days, leaving fairly cool weather back in San Francisco and knowing it would be even colder in Southern China.  I also wanted to visit a few friends in Bangkok, and do a couple of shoots with some models that expressed interest in working with me.  I'm really glad I made the stop in Bangkok, and much as I wanted to stay, it turned out to be just the right amount of time.

Getting Ready to Hit the Road

I just booked a ticket a couple weeks ago, and soon will be on my way to Bangkok and then Hong Kong and southern China.  I doubt that the flight attendants working on my flights will look anything like the model (Jessica) I recently shot above, but I like to travel anyway.  Even I enjoy the 13-14 hour flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong.  It is, admittedly, quite a brutal grind, but I use the time to read or write in my journal, and of course, sleep.  I very seldom watch movies on the flights, but sometimes I'll watch one which seems to put me to sleep.  If I'm especially lucky, I'll find someone interesting to talk to on the plane.

My last trip to Asia included very little photography of models, though I did a lot of street photography of ordinary people in some seldom-visited-by-tourists cities.  I was lucky to have a friend along who is a native Chinese speaker, and she translated for me as I interviewed a number of regular working-class people.  I've been gradually writing about that experience, and recording the interviews, though I have yet to publish that anywhere.  A work in progress, and something quite extraordinary.  That trip changed many things about my perception of China, Chinese people, and even the government of China.  That's for another time and place, though (note - check my non-Model link to Flickr if you're interested in seeing some of the photos from that trip:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28312772@N04/

This trip coming up will be much devoted to photography of beautiful women.

Photoshop

Photoshop - love it or hate it, it's definetly a game changer.

The shot above shows a shot I took recently, with the first one being out of camera and the second one showing after I decided my work in PS was complete.  I would not classify myself as a PS expert, but I've learned and practiced enough of it by now to realize I can afford to post very few unretouched photos as examples of my work.  It's just a given in the world of fashion/beauty image creation.

I didn't start off with this point of view.  The first few models I shot were posted without any retouching at all (you can still find some of them on my Flickr stream).  My reasons were not based on any purist religion, nor any well thought out strategy.  It was mostly a matter of my not having any suitable software (LightRoom or Photoshop), and not being interested in investing the time to learn them.  But I eventually came to understand that this is part of the image creation process - akin to working in a digital darkroom.  It was only a matter of time before I came around.

Pleasant Surprises

I had kind of a strange experience last weekend.  I have my twin girls on alternate weekends, so can only do model photo shoots on the weekends I don’t have them (and, yes, I have a “day job” so can’t normally shoot on weekdays, either).  Last weekend was one in which I had my girls, so wouldn’t have been able to shoot except that on the holiday – Labor Day – I wouldn’t have them and could do a shoot.  I had planned this in advance, and was going to do a shoot with one of my favorite models (she shall remain unnamed here…).

I had made preparations on several fronts, including purchasing some wardrobe items I knew would look especially flattering on her, and getting some props for the shoot.  I did my usual conversion of “home into photo studio”, which is a fair amount of work.  So I was all ready for the shoot, but in the morning as I logged onto my computer, I saw a message from her telling me she suddenly realized she had to go to a family barbeque that day, and could not shoot.

Back in the Saddle!

Just settling down for a latte and the chance to write a bit here.  I mentioned in a recent post that I hadn't had a photo shoot for a couple of weeks.  In fact, I hadn't had a "good" shoot for something like six weeks.  That's all changed today, after having a shoot yesterday  The shot above here is from yesterday's set (pretty much an "as shot" picture).  On top of having some great shots, I had that special dividend of encountering a really special person along the path of getting the work accomplished.

Just like most any shoot I do, I was busy for several days before the shoot shopping for shoes, dresses, and props as ideas were coming to me specifically aligned to this model (Grace).  I have to admit I was a less enthusiastic than most of the time leading up the shoot, as a recent couple experiences with cancelations had really let the wind out of my sails.  But I'm really pleased with a lot of the images, and especially, with seeing the realization of some things I had been thinking about for some time. It's a great feeling to start of with this seed of an idea, and slowly piece together the implementation details, then finally find the right model who's going to pair up well with the concept.  So I'm feeling pretty good about this endeavor once again.

One of the really cool things that happened in leading up to this shoot was related to pulling off an idea, and like I've said before, encountering some wonderful people along the path.

Down Time

There's something a bit awkward about blogs.  It's a combination of a personal journal, a work of reflection and personal insight, and yet it's public to whatever extent anyone cares to read it.  Because of that, there's a tendency to write "positive" things, stuff that will help others to feel you're on top of everything, and everything's going well for you.  I haven't written in a few weeks, partly because I haven't been feeling totally on top of everything.  I haven't felt like writing here, because I just haven't felt as positive about things as I generally am.  But here goes - I'm writing and everyone will know that I'm a human being, complete with flaws, doubts, and all those weaknesses we're all harboring to one degree or another.

Actually, when I make this point, it's specifically with respect to photography that I'm feeling a struggle these recent days.  (Yeah, my car did break down today, but that's kind of a separate matter...). 

Which Shots are the Best?

Ever wonder which shots of yours (assuming you're a model, photographer, or other photographic arts participant) are the best?  Maybe there is some proven recipe that's documented between the covers of some photographer's bible somewhere, but that's still undiscovered by myself.  So, how do I, determine which are my best shots?  This entry is not an undertaking to answer that question, but rather an opportunity to ponder the question and muse about the factors that weigh in on the consideration.  We're all faced with the decision in one way or another, and it would be interesting to hear how others approach this question.

One of the things I've learned fairly early on is that rarely do people (observers, viewers) have agreement about what is "best", or even on what looks pleasing to the eye.  People are all over the map.  I have shown pictures to friends and acqauintances, usually some shot I'm pleased with in one way or another, and noticed that people's reactions are anything but predictable.  Some will say it's great, others will indicate they don't think the model is that pretty, some are bold enough to tell me flaws in the photo (ouch, but it is helpful to learn from), others don't say much at all.  The takeaway for me is this: I have to decide for myself what is pleasing in my own eye.

Uncharted Destination

Sometimes having to feel our way along the path leads us toward an opportunity to discover something new, spurring our creativity in unforeseen ways.  Like many aspects of my work, it's this adventure that's one of the most rewarding dividends.

Just came back from doing a shoot yesterday.  It had been a fairly prolonged interchange of emails and endless text messages, working out a date and time for the shoot with Pang http://www.modelmayhem.com/2008764 so I was glad to finally have it all set.  We were hoping to shoot at my studio (well, I was), or near my home where I have many spots eyed out for location shoots, but in the end she could not get the car to drive down to my area.  She lives about two hours drive from me, and in a an area I had not rightly explored - in fact, I'd never been to that city.  It was a question of going to her location, or not working together this weekend.

Photoshoot Hangover or Postprocessing Blues

So, I've just finished a photoshoot with a model, it's been a blast, she's gorgeous, been extremely cooperative and inventive, and now comes the really fun part - uploading the files to the computer and taking a closer look.  If possible, I like to do this with the model present, because I love seeing and hearing her reaction as we look through the pics together.  It's always a case of her (and me) being super excited as we sift through them.  Actually, this part of the "workflow" is like Christmas to me.  It is so much of a rush to open the pics, and see them in all their glory.  It's like being a kid and opening presents on Christmas morning.  Really!  I don't think that feeling will ever fade away for me.

But soon afterward comes the part that, to me, isn't so much fun.  It's kind of like having a hangover after a late night of drinking and having too much fun.  That's right - the post-processing phase.  It starts with getting organized in the filing system, adding my metadata, making two backups, etc.  That's the easy part, actually.  The hard part (or maybe I should say time consuming, and somewhat like drudgery) is sorting through 500+ photos to pic the best, then narrowing it down so a handful of shots I'll actually do detailed editing on.  Then, finally - editing them.

Would I quit?

I haven't been shooting models for very long, at least compared to many other photographers.  It's been a bit over a year since my first "model" photoshoot.  Since that time I've probably done 25-30 photoshoots.  I know I'll look back someday and realize how this really is just geting started, even though I do put so much effort, creativity, and energy into every shoot.  Also, despite not having done this for a long time, I feel it's become part of my existence, part of who I am, and the desire to keep creating is a life-giving force to me.  That's was pretty much the extent of my awareness of this pursuit's "hold" on me until fairly recently.

Since I'm a single man, I had not had to give much thought to what some potential partner's reaction to all this might be.  However, a couple months ago I did have a string of dates with one particular woman - not a model, but just someone I dated for a bit.  She became aware of my photographic interests fairly soon into our knowing each other, and it was quite obvious she was not comfortable with the idea, even as she visibly stiffened when I mentioned it, and tried to explain why it was an interest to me.  Her first pre-judgment was that this was somehow involved with sexual impropriety, or something along those lines.  She hadn't even seen any of my work, and she was already dismissing this as something unacceptable.

Falling in Love

I wonder if other photographers have had the feeling of "falling in love" with their models before.  I know it might sound a little bit silly, but as I was reflecting on my own feelings around the time of a photoshoot (before, during, and after) I think it's not such a far-fetched notion.  I can understand how these kind of feelings would emerge. 

How could that be?  On the surface the entire episode is grounded in nothing more than externals: appearances and even heavily produced and edited to elicit a desired effect.  Ah - but what is that desired effect?  I suppose it's different depending on the photographer, but for me one of the things I try to create is a hunger, a thirst, in the viewer that is left somehow unquenched.  So, if this is really the end product, perhaps it's not so surprising that I can fall under the intoxicating effects of my own "drug".  Maybe this is like the occupational hazards a bartender faces...

Paralysis and No-shows

I have time to write in my blog today, although it was a little bit unexpected.  That's because I had a photoshoot planned which ultimately got scuttled by a model no-show - the veritable "flaking out" phenomenon.  Maybe she didn't really flake, but we had scheduled the shoot one week back, and I set aside time accordingly.  She had not returned a follow up email I sent earlier this week, but I knew she was travelling so didn't see that as cause for alarm.  However, when I called her yesterday evening to confirm, she did not answer the call and did not return it.  At that point I became paralyzed - were we on or not???

(By the way, these photos are just here for your enjoyment. This model has nothing to do with this topic.  :)).

What is someone in her position thinking?  Well, I should say that I'm willing to consider the possibility that she had an unfortunate occurance in her life, and due to the dire circumstances was unable to contact me to set things right by properly cancelling or postponing.  So I will allow for that possibility.

That said, I will go ahead and share my thoughts on this subject.  Maybe it will give some model, who might read this, pause before she could consider bailing on a modeling appointment without providing due notice.

What will you use the photos for?

Sometimes, before a shoot is fully arranged with a model, I will get asked, "What will you use the photos for?".  It's an interesting question.  Maybe it will be good to write about that - somebody might read this and have some idea of my answer ahead of time.

Well, if it were an ideal world. I would answer, "These photos will be published in a widely circulated publication" (fill in your favorit - web site, magazine, book, whatever).  That is my hope, and I should think in general, the hope of most any model.  I realize there are some models that might not want any of their pictures published, and for most models, some pictures taken that they don't want published (that's why I make a provision in our release agreement that allows the model to identify certain pics they would not want published).  But for most of us in this pursuit, it is something of a dream or aspiration to be published.

For now, my answer is basically this: to build up my portfolio and my aresenal of skills to pave the way to be someday published.

Before a shoot even starts.

Recently I think I've been making some progress as a photographer, and hopefully, as an artist.  I can feel and see the difference in my approach to the work over the past six months or so, and I believe it's showing in the shots I've been posting.  Actually, as this blog is addressing, I'm not even keeping up with posting many of my shots.  It is no simple matter to sort through the shots after a shoot and then pick one or two to post as the best.

In any case, even with a small sampling of my recent stuff being publicly visible, it seems that more and more these days a model I contact will respond that "yes", she would like to work with me.  This in itself is a marked change since I first started photographing models (about a year ago).  It used to be that I'd write an email (through Model Mayhem) and never get a reply.  So I'd write more, and more, and on it would go until somebody would respond.  I completely understand that.  Who wants to work with a photographer who's just starting out, and hasn't demonstrated competence with the basics, let alone established their own unique style and approach?

Hotel Stories - II

Since I had a couple days before I would venture into Isaan area for a short trip to the countryside, I decided to use some time to scout for my next hotel in Bangkok, for when I'd return.  I knew I'd be staying in Bangkok for about 6-7 days, and had planned to book as many shoots as possible during that time.  So I wanted a good space.

I  checked my favorit online booking site, and found a few candidate hotels.  One was "Jasmine Suites", which I'd stayed at many times.  I gave that some consideration, but the rooms I'd had there in the past were highly variable.  Some would be amazing for a shoot, others would be lame (not enough window space).  Also, the pool wasn't the ideal space if I wanted to do any pool shots.  One new hotel showed up on my search, and looked promising.  I decided to go pay a personal visit to check it out.