WHY AM I STILL SICK?
I miss everything this holiday season because this stupid virus won’t disappear. Since I won’t see costumes until after the fact, I decided to undress some of my favorite people who I happen to know are full of magik. They rarely use their powers for evil (unless you cross them), but they are seductive healers who can force a smile on the most belligerent of faces. We took some liberties, of course. You’d never catch them actually looking like this. They’d disappear before you had the chance, and by then you’d already be under their spell.
There are worse things that could happen, though.
Nothing changes faster than technology. When I purchased my first digital camera in 2003, image files needed to be small to upload to the internet. They weren’t the highest quality to begin with. Yet, over the years, as hard drives have crashed and discs were corrupted, there are many instances where those images saved to various online accounts are the only versions i have left.
Technology to the rescue. While today’s cameras are considerably stronger and have the ability to take much higher resolution images, the software has often lagged in keeping up. Only in the past couple of years has it become genuinely feasible to go back and rework some favorite images.
Eventually, I’ll want to revisit everything shot before 2020. For now though, hers a first set of several favorites from the past 20 years. I wish i could remember the names of all the models, but too many have long escaped me. I hope they’re all doing well and enjoying their lives.
And I hope you enjoy these images. Remember, click on any of the pictures below to view them full screen on your device.
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What you see below is the last picture we took as a professional photographer. I am now retired. Well, okay, officially not until midnight New Year’s Eve, but for all practical purposes, this is it. And, just as there was a story to my first professional picture, there’s a story to this one. Typing it out, though, felt bland. So, I’ve put that story on this week’s podcast on Old Man, Talking. You’ll find the whole explanation there as well as a brief discussion of what comes next.
As we’ve said a couple of times recently, thank you for your many years of support. We move on now thankful for all the friends we’ve made, the lives we’ve touched, and the beauty we’ve brought to the world. Goodbye.
Most years I’ve struggled to find anyone who wanted to shoot a holiday set, especially one that was even mildly erotic. The last holiday set we did was three years ago when I coerced family into pretending to be Santa and his elves. The sexiest holiday set, though, was shot ten years ago. That model has now moved West and recently gave birth to her second child. A lot has changed. Kids have grown. Lives move on and, hopefully, improve.
The gaps between those years, though, are telling. The greater majority of the time, I haven’t shot in December at all. People are too busy, concerned with whatever is going on in their own lives. It’s been a good time to update the website, do an annual review, and make plans for the next year. The absence of a holiday set is not something that has been egregiously noticeable. No one’s pounding on my door, anxious to get in some holiday portraits.
This year is different, though. A little over a week ago, I happened to find myself at FocusOn Studio at the same time as a group of friends and acquaintances who were all gung-ho about getting in some final shots before I put up the camera. They came with ideas in tow and we filled the evening casually moving between taking pictures and pleasant conversations. The sets weren’t excessively large, we processed five or six photos from each, just enough to capture an emotion or a brief storyline. They’re as fun and enjoyable as we all want our holidays to be.
So, here is my final holiday gift to you: five fun, erotic sets filled with holiday spirit. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. With all the sets, remember to click on a thumbnail to view the images fullscreen on your device.
Those who’ve been paying attention for several years know that Shibari, the Japanese form of body rope art, is something I’ve enjoyed shooting. My first date with Kat involved shooting a rope suspension set. Some of my best pictures have been along this theme. Being invited to shoot this particular set was an unexpected honor. The person tying normally takes his own pictures and did on this instance as well. He requested that I shoot at the same time, however, because the nature of the suspension was such that he needed to be free to act quickly should anything go wrong. There’s always a risk level to these shoots and everyone I’ve worked with has always been diligent about safety. This was no exception. The set was fun to shoot and makes a beautiful end to that part of my career.
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You should have seen the expression on her face when I showed her the rocking horse. That she’s well past the age when most people amuse themselves in such fashion was irrelevant. Her excitement was contagious and fueled this fun holiday set. Sure, the horse is only in one shot, but sometimes one little thing is all it takes to take a set from meh to marvelous. We can only hope everyone has this joyous a holiday.
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I’ve always been careful about shooting with the sets available at FocusOn because I know they appear in hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other pictures shot by other photographers and I’m reluctant to shoot something that might appear as though I’m copying someone else’s work. After we shot The Santa Suspension, though, I looked at this facade, noticed some nearby fabric, and had an idea. The concept is a bit involved, so bear with me.
In the now-classic Christmas movie Home Alone, Kevin watches and makes use of a faux movie called Angels With Filthy Souls. While the movie inside of a movie is fake, it’s based on a 1938 movie with James Cagney called Angels With Dirty Faces. Cagney plays a gangster (a frequent role for him) trying to corrupt a bunch of street kids, mostly teens and young adults.
The concept of playing off a religious theme in reference to something obviously not religious isn’t new, but as I pinned the fabric to the model’s hair, there was no denying the angelic overtones created. Perhaps, had we put her in a white or light blue gown, the images might have resembled religious iconography. We didn’t do that, though. She’s damn-near naked and the resulting juxtaposition is, in my opinion, nothing short of glorious.
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Almost from the moment it was published, How The Grinch Stole Christmas! became a holiday classic. We’ve read the book, watched the movies, and been constantly amused by the multiple iterations and representations of the green grouch who threatens to spoil the holidays for everyone in Whoville. Over the years, I’ve been amused at how seriously we take the story. Psychological analysis has been done not only on the Grinch, who some look upon with sympathy for having been bullied and outcast but also on the citizens of Whoville and their obsession with the holiday. Our attachment to the Grinch is personal.
The story in this set runs along the line of a voluptuous young woman offering our nearly-naked Grinch the simple gift of a ribbon and, by the end, maybe a little more. This is no children’s bedtime story. Think of it more as holiday cosplay with a happy ending.
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Everyone gets all hyped over the gift-giving holidays and the tales and legends of the jolly old gift-giver in the red suit. The emotion and energy employed getting us to December 25 outdo any effort on any project the rest of the year. Our entire focus is on that one day.
And what happens afterward? For many, it’s the busiest shopping day of the year and returns and exchanges are made while others try to take advantage of end-of-year inventory sales. The assumption is that Santa goes home and snuggles in bed, presumably with Mrs. Claus, and takes a long nap. But as he does, who’s minding the shop? Admittedly, there wouldn’t be a whole lot to do on the day after Christmas. A normally busy admin might tend to get a bit bored and with no one else at the North Pole working that day, she might just find creative ways to amuse herself. This is what happens when Santa forgets that very specific toy she wanted.
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There you have them, five wonderfully erotic sets for the holidays. What a fun way to close out the year! Yes, I’ll post a year-end review on Sunday, but I wanted to offer this special entry that I hope you’ll remember for years to come.
Putting a video at the top of the page has become a habit that I’m sad to break. Losing our video host this week was devastating. While we found another host, we were sad to discover that the playback quality was severely lacking. This puts me in the position of deciding to hold off on any new videos until we can move everything to a private server. There’s little point in presenting a video that isn’t going to represent the quality we’ve worked hard to maintain.
Still, we have pictures. We always have pictures. And this week we look at a series of photos we shot earlier this fall that I find defining in some ways. The BDSM Kink dictionary defines the term Brat as “A submissive who is deliberately uncooperative, topping from the bottom, pretending to be young, for the purpose of eliciting attention and/or punishment from their Dom.” The definition fits the DC Comics character of Harley Quinn quite well. She’s submissive only to Joker, and even then only on her terms. A Brat doesn’t view their limited submissiveness as a weakness because they know they are always in control, no matter what their Dom might say.
With that definition in mind, it’s of little surprise that the familiar red and blue costume with colored hair is a popular look come late October. We see various interpretations and renditions frequently. Most of the time, however, the costume is make-believe, a momentary act, taking on the role of a character the actress probably doesn’t understand. Harley Quinn is complicated, after all. The character started life as Dr. Harleen Quinzel, a young psychologist caught up in the fascination of Joker’s deep and dark psychosis. She’s no fool and should never be taken for one. If she sometimes comes off as a bit ditzy it’s for the purpose of mentally disarming her opponent.
Capturing that personality came rather easily for our model because she is, as much as the character she portrays, a Brat. A brilliant young person with a mischievous bent, she is confident, disarming, and full of life. So much so that in processing these pictures, I found myself questioning whether I was playing to the fictional character of DC Comics or the real character of our model. Fortunately, our model doesn’t have a homicidal streak to her (at least, not one that I know). She is often compassionate and caring for those most vulnerable. But, like the character she plays here, she can be defensive of those for whom she cares, and yes, she knows how to swing that bat.
What we end up with is a set of portraits that are part Cosplay, and part personality study. One can revel in the fiery defiance of the Brat without losing the deep sense of humanity and emotional depth hiding beneath the costume. The images are fun and sexy and still reflective. We hope you enjoy them.
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The pandemic isn’t over. Plenty of people are still quarantined for at least a week following exposure to COVID-19. If you’re locked in with a partner or playmate, then you have sufficient distractions. You can hold a conversation, or argue over what to stream next. If you’re by yourself, though, the options are less, and if you don’t keep yourself busy that line of insanity inches closer with each passing second. Hobbies are only good as long as one has supplies. We learned last year the dangers of eating everything in sight. How does one stay busy?
You know-how. We’re not going to pretend that masturbation isn’t a regular activity regardless of what else one might be doing, but online sales of vibrators and other personal pleasure instruments have skyrocketed the past two years as we’ve looked for new and exciting ways to keep some form of pleasure in our lives. This is part of who we are, a natural expression of pleasure that begins before we’re born. There’s no reason to be shy or ashamed in admitting that.
Instead, let’s celebrate the beauty. Let’s celebrate the freedom that comes from being in control of your own body. Let’s celebrate the wonder of deriving pleasure from yourself, for yourself, without needing the complications of another person. That’s not saying that relationships aren’t nice, but being in lockdown by yourself isn’t necessarily a complete negative.
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There’s nothing particularly sexy about the average set of stairs in the average house. Sure, there are some wonderfully exotic staircases in special places around the world, but when it comes to the normal subdivision in the typical suburban neighborhood, the stairs are designed to be utilitarian, not statement pieces. Occasionally, especially this time of year, one might see a banister decorated a bit, giving the staircase its only bit of pizazz, but the rest of the year we hardly think of them beyond how tiring it is having to go up and down them all the time.
All that changes, however, when one places one of our favorite blondes on the staircase and then steals her clothes. Okay, we didn’t actually steal her clothes. She had already disposed of them before we got to this point. Still, one shouldn’t be the least bit surprised at the degree to which such a lovely body lends a whole new perspective to a set of stairs. Suddenly, they’re more than just a means of conveyance from one floor to the next. They’re an attractive and interesting frame for an incredibly sexy figure.
Staircases all over the world long for this kind of attention, this moment in the sun when they’re not being trampled upon by mindless feet that didn’t bother wiping off the mud first. In a world filled with mediocrity and boredom, an event like this is a distant dream for most staircases. Sure, we wish we could put an attractive naked person on every staircase in every home, but the chances of that are too slim and, quite honestly, there’s no way we could photograph them all.
Until there is more sexiness on more staircases, this photoset will have to make do in providing you the kind of multilevel entertainment you desire. Click on a thumbnail to see the image full screen and enjoy the view.
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Birthdays should be a big deal, in my opinion. Think of it as your personal holiday, a celebration not only of the fact you were born but that you somehow managed to survive another year, a task that doesn’t get any easier as one gets older. To make it this far, we’ve had to survive storms, floods, fires, accidents, injuries, and disease. The past two years, we’ve had to fight off the coronavirus, leukemia, hypertension, anxiety, and diabetes. While in the moment, none of these fights seemed especially herculean. Just another day. Looking back, though, I am sometimes surprised that, woah, we’ve made it to birthday #61.
I wanted to do something big this year. Since I’m putting down the camera (for the most part) at the end of the year, I wanted to do something memorable, something a little different. Some of you who’ve been around for a while might remember the big shoot we did nine years ago. For those with a faulty memory, or who weren’t paying attention, let me remind you of that event.
See how much younger I looked then? Sadly, I’ve not seen several of those sweet people since those shots were taken. Many have moved away, had children, started totally new lives that don’t involve standing around naked in front of my camera. Such is the way life goes. Most of them are happier and that’s what counts.
But I wanted to do it again, only bigger, and different: not as many models, more body shapes, and hey, why not toss in some guys this time around. The more I thought about the idea, the more I knew I would need help making this one happen. I reached out to my friend Meghan who seems to know almost everyone or how to get in touch with them. We sat down over coffee and planned how to make the last couple of months of shooting worthwhile, including a particularly large shoot for my birthday.
You know, today.
Ultimately, we settled on interrupting a regularly scheduled photo event at Focus On Studio in Carmel. The event draws plenty of people who have little hesitancy toward getting naked in front of cameras. We asked them to pose for two pictures: one in sleepwear (however they choose to define it), and the second, nude. I wanted to have even more people this time around than nine years ago but knew that could be a challenge. It’s always an issue with these things that some people who want to be there can’t make it. Things happen.
I was pleased with the turnout, the eagerness with which people participated, and the fact that this year’s photos look a lot different than those nine years ago. Sure, there are still people I would have liked to include, but I’m not unhappy about the results. My world has changed significantly from nine years ago; it’s only fitting that my birthday photos would as well.
So, here they are, the last large-group photos, for my birthday. My thanks to Meghan and everyone who participated. Happy Birthday to me!
I don’t like shooting underwater. I tried it several years ago, before cameras were digital, and found that I was too focused on my own breathing, making sure that the camera casing wasn’t leaking, and watching out for jellyfish to focus on getting good pictures. I haven’t tried it again since. I make that caveat right here at the front so no one gets the idea that I actually asked this delightful couple to make repeated dives without as much as a snorkel in order to capture these photos.
The photos were shot back in mid-October (just a hint of how large my current backlog is), in a studio, at the end of a session where we had shot hundreds of other photos on a totally unrelated topic. It was raining out. and having long been a fan of the movie Dancing in the Rain, I thought it might be fun to play off that concept and I would add the rain in post.
Time does an interesting thing to one’s perspective, though, and by the time I got around to actually processing the photos, I was feeling a need to create something more fun, to the point of being ridiculous. After a bit of experimentation, layering multiple effects on top of each other, we came up with a look that seems quasi-believable if one would choose to dispense with the whole needing-to-breathe thing. Are there still issues? Sure. The light displacement wouldn’t be as consistent, among other things. But we’re not after that level of accuracy, are we? We’re having fun, not trying to create an alternative reality.
And fun is what I think we achieved, which is why I’ve saved them for this Sunday. We need something light, not heavily introspective, no social commentary hidden in the context, or any expectation that the photos might change one’s perspective of the world. There is enough seriousness wandering around at the moment. We need images to help us smile, to imagine what it would be like trying to open an umbrella underwater and take our minds off the stress for a moment. I hope this set of photos does that for you. Enjoy.
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Friday night after a long week at work. It’s pouring rain and the chill in the air leaves no question to the coming winter cold. A warm bowl of soup. A hot cup of tea. You’re relaxed and cuddled up next to the person you care about. You take a deep breath and relax. Life may be far from perfect, but at this moment it’s at least comfortable and that’s saying something.
You’re neither one in the mood to go out. There’s nothing overly exciting to watch on television. Another cup of tea, a little guitar, and you both realize it’s a little warm inside. Shirts come off, blankets come out. You move close together, enjoying the feel of each other’s bodies. You’re feeling good, and you’re both in the mood for a little bit of intimate pleasure. It starts with a soft touch, and then…
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A Unique Look At The Photos (with music)
We’re still enjoying the set of vintage pinup images we shot earlier this fall. There’s something almost refreshing about the style, something that carries a bit of nostalgia while simultaneously keeping the look fresh and exciting. For some people, the look is a part of their everyday lifestyle and for many others, it’s a choice they take advantage of whenever given the opportunity. Pinup is a forever style.
The three sets in this week’s collection are all individual, shot separately with independent themes. Each one is a play on original themes from the 1940s, modernized just enough to keep it from looking like an attempt to make an exact copy. One of my personal rules in shooting this style, and a primary reason I’ve not done it too often, is that while we might enjoy the vintage look, the images themselves need to be fresh and original.
This is the last pinup collection I’ll shoot and I’m pleased with the results. Enjoy the video and its unique transition process. The full images are below. Click on any of the thumbnails to view the collection full screen.
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Pinup is such a classic style that it gets plenty of treatment from photographers around the world. Stylists love it because they get to show off vintage wardrobe. Makeup artists love it for the bright red lips and rosy cheeks. Hairstylists enjoy the opportunity to show off their skills with styles not seen quite as often. The whole look has proven eternally popular with magazines and websites by the dozens devoted to celebrating the look.
If there’s a weak link in the chain, and the preposition is meant to cast some aspersion on whether there is an issue at all, it is in the photography. No matter how well everyone else on the team does, the excitement for the look is lost if the photographer blows it. The two most common errors are too much background and not enough light. When both are present, the pinup style is lost and the model might as well be wearing the latest Yeezy disaster.
We have to remember that pinups were originally paintings and illustrations, not photographs. Yes, they were extremely realistic, but there were certain qualities unique to the medium. First, there was rarely any background at all, and when there was it was minimal. The emphasis was on the body and nothing else. Second, they were very bright with highly saturated colors on the model and soft pastels for the background. Occasionally an artist might include a car, a bottle of wine, or some other prop, but the emphasis was always on the girl.
That’s not to say there’s no room for contemporary influence. Hair color was rarely messed with back in the 1940s and now there are as many options as a hairstylist can dream up. The original audience was almost exclusively male so poses and scenarios were meant to get their attention. Today, the audience skews more toward women and LGBTQ+ topics are popular and valued among that community.
What I like about today’s post is the contrast in presentation. The video treats the images as cherished relics of a bygone era, captured on canvas, worn and washed with age. The photos themselves are high contrast, high saturation with a life ready to jump into your own reality. Both set a mood that makes for a pleasant visit.
This is the first of two volumes of pinups we shot recently. I’ll post the second volume next week. We hope you enjoy our final look at this classic style.
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Critical facts and figures are included here
Reading is important. There’s no valid argument against it. Study after study, over 100 years worth of examination, reiterate the value not only of learning to read well but reading often. There’s no substitute for the endless advantages that come from reading. The case has been made for so long, it’s difficult to consider why everyone isn’t walking around with a book in their hands. In a way, you could. Smartphones are perfectly capable of storing and presenting ebooks that you could read anywhere it’s appropriate for you to be looking at your phone. Some ebook apps will even read it to you if you’re driving and don’t want to put it down.
Yet, somehow, too many people can’t read, and of those who can, too few bother. Adults under age 45 are barely reading at all and when they do, it’s something short. The result is not merely a level of incredible ignorance, but a severe danger to the world as a whole. People who can’t read misinterpret street signs, don’t read instructions, aren’t aware of medical information, and miss important life-saving information. The statistics are in the video so I won’t repeat them here.
So, we thought we’d offer a little encouragement. You see, it turns out that reading fiction is one of the best things you can do for your brain, and yes, erotic fiction counts. Go ahead, picture those steamy moments in your mind. Perhaps you might even recreate them with a consenting partner. As you do, you increase critical neurological skills and may even ward off some forms of dementia. The ways in which we benefit from reading are neverending.
And by all means, never miss an opportunity to read with a unicorn.
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You’ll want to view full screen with the sound on.
The end of a long day. You’re alone, no one else in the house. A little soft music, a relaxing drink, perhaps a light snack. The clothes you’ve been wearing all day weigh you down. You slip out of them, putting them in the growing pile of laundry. You have a couple of hours before anyone else is home. You stretch out on the chaise, relax, and release the stress that has plagued you all day. The important stuff will still be there later. For now, you need some time for mental healing and this is exactly what the doctor prescribed, or would have if doctors actually prescribed common-sense tactics.
As a society, we spend too little time giving our bodies a break. We don’t stop to think about how the many layers we wear contribute to the emotional weight we feel bearing down on us. We censor ourselves, our bodies, and deny ourselves the quiet, alone, naked time that we need to decompress. There are benefits not only for our mental health but physical health as well. Give your skin a chance to breathe, maybe apply some hydrating lotion while massaging your limbs.
Sure, you may want to be dressed before the kids get home, depending on your family dynamic. In-laws coming for dinner? Yeah, you don’t need the stares. But for now, this moment is yours. Take it. Drink it in. Shed all the nonsense that inevitably builds up across the day. Breathe. Close your eyes. Enjoy the music. You’ve not just earned this moment, you need it. Claim it.
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There are many reasons for making love in the dark. The excitement. The open door to fantasy. Perhaps secrecy. Not wanting everyone else putting their nose in your business. Making love in the dark is passionate, thrilling, erotic, and soul-stirring. These are the moments we remember.
Do I really need to say anything else?
Oh, okay, holding your partner upside down is totally optional. Be careful.
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WATCH THE VIDEO PERSPECTIVE FIRST
We like to think we know the proverb, “Spare the rod and spoil the child,” but that would be incorrect. What Proverbs 13:24 says is, “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.” What the proverb seems to advocate is a severe form of capital punishment in child-rearing. While that might have been acceptable in 3,000 B.C.E. or so, it’s the type of thing that can get child protective services called on you today. Abuse is not good discipline.
However, some people, consenting adults who understand the risks and consequences of their actions, enjoy having the rod laid to their skin. For some, it is a form of erotic pleasure from which they derive great enjoyment. Sure, Freudian therapists have a field day with all the latent dysfunctionality of such an activity, but at the end of the day, for those who are knowledgeable in the practice and delivery of erotic punishment, there’s no lasting harm, only pleasure.
And when the punishment is delivered by the right person, it can become a work of art. The video and still images are different perspectives so be sure to observe both.
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When I was first shown the bikini our model is wearing, my initial thought was of all those skimpy costumes worn by pretty much every female comic hero ever created. There was never anything magic about the outfit as there often was with the guys. I mean, let’s get real, Batman would be dead by now without his utility belt. Women, though, had to rely on their own strength. That’s the only protection they had. Well, maybe a sword but I didn’t have a sword to include with this set of photos.
What this underscores is not merely the sexist and often misogynistic perspective of those creating the character but the way in which women have responded to such negativity by going ahead and being dominant, powerful, and amazing. They don’t give in to the vulnerability others try to force on them. They take charge. They win the day. Then they go home and do whatever they please. You can fix your own damn sandwich.
Side note: I chose the opening strains of Beethoven’s Eroica symphony (the 9th) for the video because of all the music I have access to, this is what matches the emotion I hope the photos create.
Enjoy.
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I was admittedly seething with anger as I drove home after this photoshoot. We were working in an area I’ve shot at dozens of times over the past 15 years without incident. The only problems we’ve ever encountered were mud and high water. But this time, a woman jogging nearby saw our model and assumed she was underage and possibly there against her will. So, she called the police. The police proceeded to claim that we were on private property (we weren’t) and double-check that the model was of legal age (she’s 21 if you’re wondering and I have the requisite proof of age).
Once I calmed down a bit, I had to consider that what happened was a direct result of a reality with which I’m not directly involved. In the runner’s reality, the age gap between myself and the model was suspicious. In the runner’s reality, the model couldn’t be more than 12-14 years old. In the runner’s reality, the model had to be in danger. Therefore, in the runner’s reality, it was her responsibility to call the police.
Our realities are not shared. In my reality, I was shooting with a friend, someone I’ve shot before, someone who was excited about what we were doing. In my reality, the age gap was never an issue because there was no intention other than getting the best photos we possibly could. In my reality, we were having fun. In my reality, we both spoke to the runner as she passed, a greeting that was friendly and not the least bit aggressive or creepy.
So, as I struggled with how to capture all the emotions I still feel in looking at these pictures, the idea of creating a separate reality, a reality void of any ill intent on anyone’s part, a reality of music and love and peace, seemed appropriate. The result is a unique set of images that are unlike any I’ve shot in that location.
I do lament the loss of shooting there again. Given that we were watched all the way back to our vehicles until we both left, I’m not inclined to ever return to that area for any reason. While the area is one of the most beautiful in town, I don’t need the potential harassment. This is the last set of images I’ll shoot along the White River.
And so we move on to a new reality, one created by new experiences and understanding. Whether it is better than the old reality remains to be seen.
Enjoy the photos.
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Let’s start here.
“I know her, she’s …”
“You don’t want to mess with them, they’re …”
We all like to generalize. Putting people we know into a single basket makes it easy to decide whether or not we want to associate with that person.
But no one, absolutely no one, can be defined by a single trait. Not only that, the traits exhibited today may not be the properties we see in a person tomorrow. We grow. We change. Just as a person shows different looks and emotions over the course of a set of photos, we can change who we are just as quickly, and perhaps more frequently.
When we ask, “Who Is A Woman?” we have to know that the answer only applies to a given moment, just like a photo only captures a fleeting image. The video uses 18 different descriptors, but they are both accurate and false at the same time. She’s a different person than who she was when the photos were taken. Sure, her hair is still wonderful, she’s still engaging, and strong. But she’s much more as well.
And so are you.
So, maybe we stop trying to put people into boxes. Maybe we get to know a person’s full story, not just the one we see on Facebook. Maybe we accept that people are complicated and that’s a good thing.
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WATCH THIS FIRST
I’ve always liked the tone of natural light in the morning. After noon, on the waning side of the day, there’s more amber in the light and while that’s nice for things like romantic portraits of couples wandering through a field, it doesn’t shadow as well for black and white. Morning is better, cooler, more distinct.
There’s something to be said for the lure of lingerie as well. We do plenty of nudes, with no apologies or plans to stop, but occasionally, just to break things up a bit, lingerie is nice. There’s a softness that’s unique to the genre, a seductive “you can’t touch this” aesthetic that is simultaneously inviting and prohibitive. She’s gorgeous and sexy but she’s not taken by your charm.
The video presents a unique perspective on the images. Watch that first, then take a look at the stills below. Click on any of the thumbnails to view the set full screen.
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Almost all of us have some form of media in front of our eyes during non-working hours. Many of us find ways to use or view online media in our work as well. Some call our entire society addicted to the images and the sound that now stream for us endlessly, 24/7. There is never a point at which something is not available.
But after a long day at work, when we shed our clothes and drop onto the couch, turning on the television or scrolling on our phones, are we truly entertained? Are we finding joy in what we see and hear, or is what we consume merely a pacifier, something to keep our brains mindlessly engaged in something of no real substance until we finally drift off to sleep?
Sure, we need a break from the stress of work, but does the thing we call entertainment do its job? Are we truly entertained? The internet goes out and the streaming stops. A glitch in the phone’s software and an app suddenly closes. You can’t find the content you were watching. More stress. More negative emotion. Are we benefiting?
The images take us through that series of attempting to relax, unsatisfied with the content, changing channels, excited for a moment, then frustrated at an interruption. Finally, we turn the whole mess off, and perhaps is the best thing we do all evening.
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Rough sex. Have you tried it? If you haven’t, you may be in the minority, especially if you’re in the 18-45 age group. Even before the book Fifty Shades of Grey first excited passions in 2011 (yes, it’s really been ten years), an increasing number of young adults, and especially a surprising number of women, were drawn to a rougher, more aggressive form of sex. The trend only continues to grow and with it a wider variety of options than your parents ever considered.
First, let’s be clear about one thing: the term “rough sex” does not imply a lack of mutual consent. Both sides must agree to the activity and what it involves or else it is still sexual assault. Every time.
Rough sex can be anything from role-play to forceful kissing to BDSM and bondage. And while there is often an element of pain that many people find exciting, pain isn’t a necessary element. Dirty talk, aggressive sexting, demanding tones can be just as much a turn-on as more physical elements.
A paper in Evolutionary Psychological Science looked at the topic of understanding aggressive consensual sex and found that “Men and women alike reported that it tended to be more arousing and that their orgasms were more intense. Women reported reaching orgasm faster… faster orgasms might be part of the appeal of this activity to women.”
That last bit is important. For millennia, women have had to put up with men finishing first and leaving them unsatisfied because, as a gender, men are pigs. If the hard thrusting action of rough sex bridges that pleasure gap then why wouldn’t women enjoy it?
There’s also the fact that pain and pleasure stimulate the same part of the brain. Nope, not kidding. There’s a paper on that as well. When pleasure and pain are combined in the same activity, assuming that activity does not involve a fear element, the level of physical and emotional excitement more than doubles, causing us to what to repeat that activity more regularly.
There has been a surprising amount of clinical and scientific study on the whole pleasure/pain connection, a lot of it done here in Indiana, and all find that there are positive outcomes to enjoy. The caveats are that intentions must be clearly communicated beforehand, that either party is able to stop the activity at any time without repercussion, and that attention is paid afterward to things like cuddling and softer, tender words and touches.
But you didn’t come here for the sex lesson, did you? You came for pictures. One perspective is shown in the video at the top of the page. Below are the individual stills. Click on any thumbnail to view the images full-screen on your device.
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Where there is Joy
[a feeling of great pleasure]
There is Light
[a sensation aroused by stimulation]
Where there is Light
[stimulation visual receptors]
There is Laughter
[rhythmical contractions]
Where there is Laughter
[a response to physical or emotional stimuli]
There is Peace
[a societal concept of harmony]
Where there is Peace
[freedom from fear and violence]
There is Life
[using those energies for good]
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2021 In Review: The Final Year
Our last year started slow but ended with pictures to carry into 2022
This was the year that broke the proverbial camel’s back. After 37 years, we decided that the costs were too high, the effort too great, and the frustrations too often to bother continuing as a photographer. Officially, we pull the plug on New Year’s Day, but barring some exceptional occurrence, we’ve already taken the last picture. The camera is safely stowed in case I decide to pull it out again, but it’s out of the way, out of sight, and hibernating. One of my chores today is to remove the lights from the back of the car and store them out in the shed along with my tripod and reflectors. We’re done.
Sort of. As slow as this year started, the last six months have been full of activity, much more than we’ve had time to process. Much of this was intentional. I wanted to have enough new material to still enter juried shows for the next couple of years (assuming they survive). As a result, I still have several hundred unprocessed images waiting for my attention. I won’t release them as regularly as I have before, and when I do it may be a single image rather than a full set.
From a public perspective, we’re taking this website into archive mode. There will be no information about booking or hiring. We’ll re-work the portfolios and they’ll take a dominant position on the front page in video format. New material will be toward the bottom of the front page and most easily accessible through social media posts.
Can I be coaxed into shooting again? Maybe. We’ll see how it goes. If I do, it will be on a shoot-by-shoot basis. The concepts need to be original and enticing, something I’ve never shot before, and the people involved need to be exciting. And it will cost more. Just getting everything checked and out the door is going to be more of an effort, so the price is going to be higher. No, I still won’t shoot your wedding. I’ll officiate if you ask (yes, I can do that), but I won’t take pictures.
So, here’s a brief glance back at what we did this year. There’s not a lot. Jan-April was pretty slim. We didn’t post anything the entire month of May because there wasn’t anything to post. That’s largely what prompted this decision. As always, click on a thumbnail to view to collection full screen on your device. Thank you for all the years you’ve watched, encouraged, and commented. We’ll miss you.
-charles
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