This is from my boudoir session with Kealani in August.
My goal was to create work that would be dreamy and ethereal for her, since she had never before done any artistic photographs of herself, and I decided on doing a soft-focus effect for most of the photographs to achieve that style. There are many ways to get this effect, and in my case I used a vintage lens from the 1970’s.
Read MoreThis is from a recent shibari session with my friend Karissa.
To be frank, I consider myself an absolute beginner in this art, and it would be foolish for me to claim to have much more experience than that. My rope tying is improving with practice, but like photography, the real art is in the deeply personal communication that takes place during a session. Literally anyone can learn how to tie some knots, and with practice make it look good. But that’s just the beginning, not the end goal.
Read MoreThis was our second time doing a shibari session together, and in the three years since the first one, I’ve certainly grown. It was a fantastic experience working with someone who has been a dear friend for several years, and being free to create and explore without judgement.
Read MoreSatoshi is a DJ and music maker in Japan who I found on Soundcloud. I loved his remixes and mixtapes, and sent him a message. Fortunately, he decided to send a message back, and we met up and I took some portraits of him around Nagoya.
Read MoreAfter a few years I'm still somewhat new to doing Shibari/rope sessions, and even though I feel like a total beginner, I can feel myself improving with each session. I'm finding better ways to continue ties, getting better at knots and managing tension, and working more efficiently. Sessions like this have some extra challenges as well: the model loses mobility so you have to plan or improvise poses that look good in photographs, likewise the placement that would make for good lighting. Of course, there's also the challenge of making something meaningful that communicates more than just "Look at this person's body!" That's always the most difficult part in photographing nudes, the mind and competency of the artist is revealed.
Read MoreMy friends Monica May and Ashley Hayward are a pair of performers who are hosting a big event coming up in the next few weeks, and we worked together to make some promotional photos for it. We were inspired by the raucous party scene of the late disco era, with an emphasis on glamour and recklessly wanton debauchery
Read MoreWhile living in Japan I went on a walk and found myself in a graveyard. Unlike in the United States, cremation is the norm, so graves are usually indicated by stone monuments for families and wooden planks for individuals.
Read MoreThis was an experimental session with my friend Lola. We had shot before a few times, and this time we decided to go for something dark and sensual. For me, this was a technically challenging photo session: as I was using a manual focus camera in near total darkness, and since my Leica M9’s ISO sensitivity tops out at around 1600, I needed to shoot at slow shutter speeds which in turn made it necessary for me to be completely still while shooting so that there would be no motion blur. I was very interested in how I could use the light and shadow to suggest and reveal her form, as well as explore the play of light on the surface of the water.
Read MoreThis is an series I shot several years ago with M, a lover who is herself an artist as well. My goal was to make a personal memento of a passionate romance, with no intention of ever sharing it beyond a few close friends who understand what I’m reaching at with my work. I have been very hesitant to share this work since it is so deeply personal and private, but the friends I have shared it with have been incredibly supportive, and M herself encouraged me to share it publicly as well. Almost a year after promising another close friend that I would post this, I’m finally ready to share it.
Read MoreLast weekend my friend and I drove up to the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve to see the Super Bloom in all its glory. This winter saw a lot of rain in California, so the flowers were just spectacular. While we were out, we decided to also visit Death Valley.
Here’s a link to download high resolution photos from the trip. Feel free to use them as device backgrounds, but let me know if you plan on using it for anything else. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy these photos of California’s gold!
Read MoreBelinda is someone I’ve known for many years, and the last time we shot, I was still a beginner, using a film camera I had borrowed from a friend. Of course, I still feel like a beginner..
For this session we went with a shibari theme. Shibari is the Japanese art of rope bondage, which has been around for centuries. It started out as a set of techniques for binding and torturing prisoners, and over time became both a fetish and an art form. This was my first time trying a Pentacle/Star harness, and the lower waist/arms tie was improvised, as were the following ties. Still a beginner, of course.
The Gourd is a vegetative visitor, a friendly fruit with a playfully provocative form. The inscrutable squash is now a houseguest and muse, working alongside my dear friend Sari.
Prints available upon request.
Read MoreLately, I’ve been interested in how painting uses boundaries of contrast to differentiate layers in space between background and foreground. In this photo, I did something similar. Her dark hair stands out from the light behind her, and the lightness of her neck, arm, and flowers makes her body stand out from the shadows in the background.
Read MoreIt's almost Valentine's Day, so how about a moment of self-love? Last year I made the resolution to take more self portraits because I often don't like how I look. Last summer while traveling in Europe I decided to make use of some dramatic window light and take some nude self portraits as an exercise in accepting my self/body as it is.
The experience was a nerve-wracking reminder of how difficult it is to be vulnerable in front of the camera, but eventually I found my groove and made a few soulful and erotic photographs I'm proud of. Thanks for reading, and I hope you take a moment to love yourself as well.
Read MoreThere’s a joke in the photographic community that if you want to make art, take photos in black and white.
Of course, color photography is just as fertile ground for creative expression as black and white, but why does black and white feel more “artistic” to so many people?
Read MoreAn Allegory of the Garden of Eden with Meredith
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