Xmas Pinups

I hope all who read this (both of you), enjoyed your Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever holiday you celebrate.  I had a wonderful time with my family and enjoyed seeing my grandchildren open their presents, delight in their treats, and share their joy with me and my wife.  Most years I do a Xmas Pinup Countdown on Tumblr, but this year I kept to Instagram and DeviantArt.  I thought I would share a few here before the end of the year and the start of a new decade.

Audi - Xmas 2014

Here's a lovely shot of Audi from our very last shoot.  I think we did three shoots that year, and this was the very last of the year.  We had planned another shoot for 2015, and even did some scouting and concept building for the year, but it just didn't work out and not too long afterwards she moved away from the Pacific Northwest.  We still chat via text from time to time, but she is enjoying the warmth and sunshine of her new locale and it's extremely unlikely I'll get to shoot with her again.

Still, I have many unedited and unpublished images of her in my archive and I'll still have plenty to share in the years to come.  Audi was a wonderful model when she was working as such, but she's definitely retired from modeling and pursuing other endeavors. I'll always wish her the best in life and great success in her future endeavors.

Zoe Xmas 2014

Zoe was another model that decided to retire a few years ago. She left modeling to focus on a new job and to continue her education. Again this shoot was from 2014 when the decorations were all blue.  Zoe is an elegant model with long legs, a lengthy torso and a lovely smile.  She started modeling for me when she was just starting the endeavor, and we did many shoots over the several years that we worked together.

Again, we still stay in touch, and who knows we may yet shoot again, but both her schedule and mine preclude much at the moment. Once again, I have many unedited and unpublished images of her that I have yet to share anywhere.

Joey Xmas 2018

Joey Darke posed for me the first time in the spring of 2017 and we've worked together many times since.  She lives in a beautiful rural area east of Eugene, but travels frequently to Portland and other parts of the state.  She is perhaps the best pinup model that I've worked with in recent years.  She has both the body, attitude and the poses that make the pinup style her forté. We shot in the scenic areas around her home multiple times and in my home studio several times.  

There are many other lovely locations where I plan to take her to shoot when the weather is warmer and the opportunities are there. It's quite likely we'll get at least a couple of shoots completed in 2020 since there are multiple concepts I'd love to shoot with her. She's always a joy to shoot, and when we've wrapped up, I always have a smile for the rest of the day.

This year I got to shoot Xmas pinups with two ladies fairly new to modeling.  Orion and Jacqi did very well for the first pinup shoots, and it was fun teaching them how to use the classic pinup poses. They seemed to enjoy the shoots as well, and perhaps I'll get a chance to shoot with them again in the new year. 

Orion Xmas 2019

Jacqi Xmas 2019

Planning and Cancellations

Selene at the Fairy Mound

The model cancelled on me this morning, about hour before we were to meet and shoot. I'm not going to mention names because I think she had a legitimate reason. She did let me know what was happening and didn't just no show on me. This occurred after at least two confirmations and several days of planning on my part. The model release was printed and the batteries all charged and I had already packed the wardrobe and the cameras in the vehicle when I got the text. There was nothing to do, but bring everything back into the office and try to find another model. Alas, I had no luck there.

Now, I recount this not because I'm angry or upset.  I'm a little disappointed, but I certainly understand why the model wasn't able to shoot. In fact, it's much better to have a model cancel when she's unwell or otherwise preoccupied about something. It's best to have a happy and fully functional model that wants to shoot, than one who had rather be somewhere else.  The reason I write this is to remind myself that this happens from time to time and it's part of dealing with creative people. There's only been a couple of times I've insisted the model show for the shoot, and the results didn't please me or the model.  So, I've learned to just accept what happens and replan for another day. 

So, instead of shooting, I relaxed today. I watched a few Photoshop tutorials, reorganized some photo catalogs, and spent a little time gardening.  Years ago, I would have been upset and sulked because I wasn't able to shoot, but this way is a much more pleasant way to deal with disappointment.

For about the last ten years or so, maybe longer, I've been posting images for the 4th of July. Usually I start about 10 or so days before the event and post images of my many lovely models in their patriotic regalia everyday up until the 4th.  This year, due to various reasons, I got a late start.  Given all that's been happening in the last couple of years, I'm just not feeling all that patriotic this year.

Well, nevertheless, here are some images that I hope will brighten you holiday and lift your spirits.

Fourteen years of Photography and Writing

Summary Page

A journal like this gives one the opportunity to look back over the years and remember more details and thoughts about a shoot than simple photo sharing sites like Tumblr or Instagram. I wished I had realized this sooner. Reading old posts from ten or more years ago has helped me to remember the reasons and the excitement of particular shoots, why certain projects were started, and often the fun of the shoot itself.

Writing about the shoot as opposed to simply posting images from the event provides a far better picture of the time spent planning and executing the shoot. On Tumblr or 500px or Deviant Art, the image is the point and not the thought process and work required to get the image.  Now I look back and see that there are six years (from 2013 to 2019) where I only posted images on Tumblr/Instagram and wrote very little about how or why I took the images.

Now, for every photoshoot, I do keep a summary record in a database where I record the date/time/location and model.  I summarize how the shoot progressed, include an example image and grade myself and the model on the shoot.  That way I can go back and look at the data to determine how to improve and what projects work best for which models.  The summaries tend to be succinct and are meant only as a quick reference and don't truly capture all my thoughts around a shoot, but I'm certainly glad I started the habit, because now I can go back and create posts around those shoots if I so desire.  Those post won't be as accurate as those created contemporaneously to the shoot, but I can at least try to recreate some history.

My goal for the rest of this year is be more proactive in writing about my shoots and recording the processes and thoughts around them.  I'm also going to once weekly write a post I'll probably call Wayback Wednesday in which I'll post some shots from previous years along with what I remember about the model and the shoot.  Chances are those post won't interest anyone but me, and maybe the model involved, but since this blog has virtually no readers anyway and I'm primarily writing for myself, it doesn't really matter.

Maupin Shoot

Saturday started and ended well.  My wife and I had a lovely breakfast together at our local pub, and then I headed out to Maupin, Oregon in the early afternoon for a shoot with the lovely Cayleigh.  The drive through the Columbia River Gorge to Eastern Oregon then down to Maupin passed quickly with beautifully scenic views and a good, loud playlist on the stereo.

I arrived in town a bit before Cayleigh so I could do a little landscape photography and some scouting before our shoot.  We planned to meet around 5:30 pm and the goal was to shoot several concepts in the deserted areas around the river.  We planned the shoot several weeks before, but due to an unfortunate accident, delayed the shoot to allow for healing and recuperation. Cayleigh had several costumes to shoot in, and I brought along several props and outfits myself.

Though thunderclouds threatened the beginning of the shoot, Cayleigh found us a perfect spot right along the Deschutes River that remained dry and sunlit for the time we needed for the shoot.  The desolate hills made the perfect backdrop for several concepts, and the river itself provided scenery for the remaining images.  Our plan to do light painting was cancelled when the thunder and rain finally arrived, but all in all, it was a most successful shoot.

Handmade Leather Skirt - made a great costume

We were exceptionally careful with the smoke sticks.

Busy Shoot Week

Graffiti Girl (Joey Darke)

After my adventure with Danielle and Naked Santa, I returned to Sauvie with Joey Darke, one of my regular models. Joey is always a joy to shoot, and Tuesday morning's shoot with her was a pleasure, despite the light rain we experienced throughout the morning.  Joey loved shooting in the mist and rain, and I'll have to say she managed to create some wonderful poses and didn't seem to get cold at all.

To our benefit, Tuesday was warmer and far less windy than Monday's shoot, though that didn't allow us to effectively use the silk veils I brought with us.  I like to have the model hold them in the wind and let them stream behind them.

We wrapped up after about two hours of shooting since I had commitments for the afternoon and we had gotten plenty of great images by that point.

The next day I met Brennan in Cathedral Park for a quick shoot. Despite having visited Portland many times, Bree had never before shot in the park and I was delighted to provide her with that experience. It's a lovely park and great for shooting glamour and fashion.  The weather turned out much better than forecasted, though it was a bit cool since we were shooting in the morning to beat the crowd.

We spent a couple of hours meandering around the park shooting in the various dresses Bree and I had brought with us. The transient population in the park has increased over the past year and we had to adjust our shooting locations a bit to avoid capturing others in the shots, but all in all we had a lovely little photographic expedition.

I have quite a bit of editing to do for Merrique the rest of this week and then a shoot in Maupin this weekend.  After that a break from shooting for a while and chance to catch up on some editing, I hope.

Bree under the bridge.

On the Trail

Santa on Sauvie

I shot today with the very lovely Danielle Winkler, a fun and athletic model traveling through Oregon on a trip through the Pacific Northwest. We shot at Sauvie right around the Sauvie Spaceship. As we were setting up for the shoot, we were approached by an older, portly gentleman who was totally nude except for a Santa hat.  Unsurprised by the nakedness, it's a nude beach after all, the Santa hat did amuse me.  He asked if he could watch our shoot, but I declined since it was my first shoot with Danielle and I didn't know how she would feel about it.  I could have deferred to her, I suppose, but I didn't want to put her on the spot.

The man looked disappointed, but went on his way.  A short time later he approached us again and asked us a bit about the ship, and asked if we were done.  I told him a we'd be a while longer, and he grumbled a bit but went on his way.  Not too much later, we saw his walking (stumbling more like it) down the beach.  Then he came up to us again and remarked that he had "called them" and was told we couldn't reserve the site all day.  I attempted to explain to him, that we weren't reserving anything and he was free to explore the ship, but to be careful as there was glass inside the vessel.

Since it was a bit chilly for Danielle, we wrapped up our shoot sooner rather than later, and the last we saw of the gentleman, he was slowly making his way down away from us complaining that he should have made us let him in the ship earlier - leaving both Danielle and I quite puzzled with the whole encounter.  A most interesting encounter, but only one of many I've had while shooting on the island.  The strange thing though, is he wasn't from Portland at all, but visiting from North Carolina for the World Naked Bike Ride (which he kept trying to convince us to attend).  I guess you don't have to be from Portland to keep it weird.

Danielle at the Sauvie Spaceship

Fanny Fridays!

I used to do a feature on Tumblr called Fanny Friday. Most Fridays I would post several images of lovely models in poses featuring their lovely assets. Of course, with the new rules, posting on Tumblr or any art that shows female skin, just about guarantees you'll get an auto notification that your image violates their standards, then you have to appeal, then you have to wait for a real person to review the appeal, so screw that.  I'll start posting them here.

Joey Darke at Leisure Land

Summer Shooting

Belle - Backyard Boudoir

It's not quite summer (officially) yet, but you can't tell it by the weather here in the Pacific Northwest.  May and June are usually unsettled months with lots of rain and even storms.  This year has been much hotter and drier than normal which has been great for my backyard boudoir project and for my flower garden, but has played havoc with allergies and the lawn. 

The rivers have receded a from their spring high, so I've also been able to shoot at Sauvie and Merrique and I made a trip out to the coast to shoot a genie themed set in the Sand Lake dunes. I've shot with a couple of traveling models, and some new local talent as well. No shoots this week, though, since I need to get some images edited, posted and out to models.  Shooting will slow considerably until the end of July due to other commitments, but I do have some interesting themes and locations planned.

Merrique at Sauvie

Merrique and I have several shoots planned for our joint projects, and I'll have to say that she has been providing me with some interesting challenges. Gamora from Avengers, Dustin from Stranger Things and the Khaleesi from Game of Thrones has been some of the more interesting concepts. Future concepts include Rambo, Bettie Page and the Joker. 

In July, I do have one shoot planned with a model I've been wanting work with for quite some time. Vox Serene and I will be shooting art nudes in the river and the woods at Sauvie.  I'm planning for an early morning shoot, and I'm hoping for some mist on the waters.


As usual, I do a lot of shooting in the summer and save my editing for the cold, wet winter months, but I'll continue posting here since Tumblr is still being stupid about nudity.

Verronica in the Park

A Failure to Communicate

Tumblr continues to fail as a site for artists, especially any that choose to depict the human form as anything but a fully clothed, puritan ideal (only a slight exaggeration).  I've explored other social media platforms and sites so I can continue to share my glamour and nude work, but they mostly fail for a number of reasons.  The Tumblr interface was simple, connected to other platforms, and provided an easy way to quickly share images with a little bit of commentary.  The upload process was easy; the interface clean and simple; navigation was intuitive. But, the censorship became draconian, and frankly, ridiculous after Verizon purchased the company.  There are rumors that Verizon is looking to sell the site to a much less puritanical company.  I can only hope.

In any case, I've done a few more shoots since my last post, so I thought it would be appropriate to share some images here that would no longer be acceptable on Tumblr.  I hope they find an audience here:

Selene in Lace

Amy in a Micro Bikini

Ellie in Spring

Belle in Pearls

GoT Merrique

Merrique as the Khaleesi

Today I shot with the very lovely Merrique for her Patreon site,  Sunday Best. She designed the set, the makeup and the hair and I lit and photographed the images.  At the end of the shoot, we shot this playful photo of the Khaleesi with her many plush dragons.

I think Merrique did a wonderful job with the set and her makeup.  She had quite the time with the hair, though, since the creme coloring she used made her hair much stiffer than she expected and it took us a couple of tries to get it to look appropriate for the images. All in all, though, everything came together for a fun and creative shoot.

Our next shoot will be the based on Avengers: Endgame when we shall attempt "Gamora Rises."  I'm hoping to find an outdoor location that will provide us an opportunity to get out of the studio and into the real world for the concept. Anyone know of an abandoned quarry near Portland?

Well Hello Again

Floofie in the Alvord Desert

With the recent changes on Tumblr and the subsequent banning of NSFW (adult material) or as they put it, "females presenting nipples," I've pretty much abandoned that platform except as an external feed to my Instagram account.  My IG posts, which I'm very careful to ensure meet their criteria, are often still tagged and adult material and then I have to through their appeal process.  That's a real pain in the ass, and I'm considering totally abandoning that platform altogether. We'll see. 

In the meantime, I'm returning to blogger to post my nude and glamour work that I like to share.  The interface here is a bit more complex than Tumblr, and I'll obviously need to rebuild my following, but you can expect to see new and more varied work from me here in the near future.  The shot above is from a photo expedition lead by my dear friend and model, Floofie, as part of her Exploregon enterprise.