Catharsis part 2

Catharsis

Final Print

Back in February I posted an entry about the beginning stages of an experimental project, one that I fully executed, shown here. The initial experiment was shot digitally from the television screen primarily to find out if the image would relay in any desirable way. It did, considering that the ultimate intention was to make an image with a distressed quality to enhance the surreal and dreamy aspects of the image content. I started by choosing color palettes that mimic the muted, faded colors of an old photograph and then used materials that would have an inherently worn looking quality. I first shot the images with a neutral toned chrome film and then exposed them onto a Polaroid film which can be used to make dye transfers. I then transferred the dyes onto watercolor paper and made high resolution scans of the these prints. After a small amount of adjusting (mostly contrast adjustments) I then printed the final images onto canvas. I felt that the canvas would best emulate the texture of the dye transfers while allowing a large print size (34"x 22"). I stretched the prints over wooden bars, like one would do with a painting, so that the result could be unframed without looking unfinished.

Summer Vacation

Every summer I take a trip to the beautiful shores of Lake Michigan, where I grew up. I have just returned from a short vacation there. I would have liked to stay longer to enjoy the relaxation, clean air, running along the shore, and to satiate my craving to swim in the fresh water which I didn't get quite enough of. One thing I miss during hot, humid NYC summers is the ability to jump in the water on a whim. There is no better way to cool off. As a young girl my parents had to lure me out of the water even when my lips turned blue and I proclaimed that I wasn't cold and wanted to swim longer. It was also a pastime to collect shells and the coveted Petoskey stones. I kept them in a jar full of water in my bedroom, their colors and patterns more brilliant when wet. During this trip home I spent a few days at my Dad and Step-mom's house where the guest room has a beach theme, influenced by both the lake and the ocean. The palette is blue, white, and beige, and the room is adorned with items such as signs for fresh oysters and a glass bowl full of shells on the nightstand.

Dirty Dolls Lingerie

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending and photographing an event featuring Dirty Dolls Lingerie. The event was held at Town Shop, the famous NYC lingerie store on the Upper West Side that was opened in 1888. They specialize in beautiful, well made, and well fitting lingerie, as suggested by their shop slogan "Your support is our business." What a perfect venue for Dirty Dolls Lingerie! Not only is every piece gorgeous, well made, and flattering, but the Dolls themselves (Dirty Doll Lingerie owners and founders Courtney Leigh Newman and Erica Rosalind Paul) will make sure you are getting into the right size with a personalized fitting. The collection consists of brassieres, shapers, and panties designed to flatter the figure under clothes while the brassieres can also add a feminine and tasteful touch when exposed as part of your outfit. For example, the peek-a-boo camisole is the perfect solution for a low neckline, providing support and coverage! The Dirty Dolls will also also host a lingerie party for you- check them out, read their blog (you can also see many more photos from the evening), shop, and stay in the loop for more events at www.dirtydollslingerie.com. I would also like to mention that there were delicious cupcakes by Sugar Mama NYC, mini make-overs by The Glam Fairy, and a burlesque lesson by Jo Weldon, headmistress of the NY School of Burlesque. We walked out with our Dirty Dolls purchases and a goody bag that included a discount card for a future DD purchase, the latest issue of BUST magazine and samples from Booty Parlour. I have never plugged so many in one post, but they were all fantastic and I encourage you to look into them!

The Limited

Here is some more work from a recent shoot I did for The Limited, it's a screen shot from the website featuring "going-out tops". If you'd like to take a better look at the photos or to shop the tops (they are beautiful!) go to http://www.thelimited.com/features/trends/going-out-tops .

Faking a Sunny Day

I recently had a shoot with The Limited during which we had planned to include a series of images to showcase pieces from their new athletic line and the idea was something to the effect of "urban yoga studio awash with sunlight". It sounded great in planning so we scouted our location (it was a bright yellowy, sunny day) excited for the shoot. When the day arrived, along with a crew of 7 people, it was gray, rainy, and quite dark. The building in view through the windows was also gray. While this was not ideal, it was an opportunity to conquer a photographic challenge and produce the look we wanted regardless of Mother Nature's plans to rinse the city that day. Although it may have been easier and less stressful to actually have a wash of sunlight, I will admit that it is quite gratifying to utilize some of the tricks up my sleeve.