I am weak

Okay, so I'm weak. Really weak. And obsessive. But knowing this makes me stronger. I think. Had to spend 3 days in New York this week. And another three next week. Am working weekends. And it's -20c outside. So I thought "Why not splash one day's work and just but the A850?"

Now there's a very good argument that I should have stuck with what I had and invested in lenses. But those lenses would have to have been sold when I went full frame... and that's a hassle. And I have 4 very good Minolta lenses that will work on the 850.

There's a better argument that I should have waited a month or so until the camera shows were done and the price would have come down... but you can always wait, prices will always come down and you always end up feeling as though you're settling for last generation's technology. Or I do.

So I've decided to just enjoy it. And it's 40MB RAW images (new harddrive next I think)

This was the first pic outta the camera, no flash (it doesn't have one) just a 40w bulb in a 500 ft sq room. It's not great but it was enough for me to think - "Good decision"

More PRK side effects

So today I have vision that's great long distance but with the computer is hazier than Ronald Reagan's memory and more blurred than a Cybil Shepherd close up. I can't see a fucking thing basically.

Frustratingly this is normal - I'm due some corneal irritation as it settles and I'm getting it. With eye drops making me first wetter than a nymphomaniac in a sex shop and then dry than a nun's twot at a bible burning I'm starting to get used to the extremes. And to be zen about them. See... Zen.

It's actually not that bad and being able to see 90% of the time is amazing. Let's hope that the other 10% doesn't take too long

Oooh, 'ello

So after the PRK (eye surgery not a stint in North Korea) - I finally have the protective lenses out and am seeing well enough to type, to read documents and to generally make my every thought know to every person willing to listen. It's weird being kinda able to see (like the Karma Chameleon and to certain extent a few of my younger friends) my vision comes and goes. It should slowly firm up (older friend gag goes here) before stabilizing in a couple of months. A long way for a ham sandwich you might say - but only if you're the kind of guy who plays chess in the park and won't pay for coffee that doesn't give you change from a single.

Tomorrow I get on a plane and head toward New York (concrete jungle, off pitch chorus, club anthem) where I shall tout my wares one last time before giving up and concentrating on the real work and the real money here in Canadia (if not Quebecistan)... New York seemed like a good idea as I know people there, can get the cost of the flight covered and of course it has lots and lots of camera shops (well they're stores but you get the picture - oh I'm good, did you see what I did there?)

Hoping to be back before the weekend is out as Jude has a friend staying, who I dreamed about only last week. In the dream we'd all been charged with tagging as many rats as we could with silly string that we were shooting from cans when suddenly she appeared from the canal carrying a large crocodile and beaming as only Steve Irwin, a Used Car Salesman about to unload a Pontiac and a criminal (spot the difference between those three) can.

Lasik day

I have Lasik today. The old fashioned, PRK, eyeball peeling, 5 days of contacts, 4 months of sun glasses Lasik. I'm not doing it for vanity or even for convenience. I'm doing it for the metaphor... the idea of seeing things in a new way, relying less on tools I know and on being freed up to do things sans excuses is the lure.

Still I do feel a little like this about it all.

Who knew I was 'sex positive'?

It seems that as I photograph more and more people without trying to jump on them, "introduce them" to my dog or generally reveal an agenda better left hidden my reputation as a 'sex positive' photographer grows. I'm about to do a Stella benefit (stella works on behalf of Montreal's sex workers in the absence of full unionization), am doing some backstage burlesque and have more and more people calling me and asking whether I'd be part of their project. I'm saying yes to anyone with a good vibe and being careful around the rest and I'm enjoying it.

Turns out I'm good around nudity.  The weird thing is though that I find it much easier to photograph men than I do women - and for that I blame Fiesta, Knave, Splosh, Big Uns and all of the other Reader's Wives porn mags of my youth. They basically programmed me to shoot naked women in a certain way. Later reading and the odd museum taught me that they were vessels around which light might shine.

Now when I shoot women I find myself trying to avoid the obvious, while shooting men has no real thinking involved. Weird... not a major thing but a sign that maybe the world needs a little more 'Sex Positive Thinking"

Cutting down on the shoots

So I rushed back from a great few hours in Toronto (who'd have thought THAT was possible?) and straight into a photoshoot that took up my whole evening... I had two more arranged for the next day, two for Monday and one for Wednesday too... which suddenly seemed like a lot. Yes I wanted to get in as many shoots as possible before Lasik took me out of the game on Thursday - but surely I wanted a bit of a life as well, didn't I?

Result? Cutting back on the shoots, trying to bundle them into Studio Days where I can get hair, make-up and real space and manage to get 8 hrs of time in a row.

Mind I do have my first night at a decent camera club tonight, some skiing either Tues or Weds, Judith's brother coming over, a really important proposal to get out, scans to arrange, taxes to do and a lot of money to make. Very excited by the potential in the business at the moment.

Right -am at the office time to stop stalling and get down to some actual work

What a mistake to make

I've wanted the Sony A850 camera from the day I first read about it. It's full frame, has a great sensor, is 24.2mp and contains all manner of useful bits and pieces. Today I made the stupid mistake of picking one up and testing it. It's gorgeous and snaps shots with a heavy thunk that makes my camera feel like a plastic toy. It was all that I could do to walk away - but I did. It's a $2000 investment and I know that the price will fall (my last camera, with a kit lens now retails at a mere C$420) but I'm just aching for it with every fiber of my being. Damn it.

On a kinda related note had dinner with a friend and his friends last night and was joined late by someone who had been working... he was a stripper in a male lapdance club and had made $1300 on his shift that night (a good night admittedly). That would buy 3/4ths of a camera. Now Canada is Full Contact so to make the money he basically had to chat up old men, lead them to a booth and then see how many songs he could get out of them before they balked at the escalating cost.... it usually ended up with them groping his naked genitals and requesting more (he's not allowed to comply) but it seems a small price to pay.

Real Gold was getting a VIP room booking - an hour with someone, a private pole, some champagne and anything up to a Grand for the time. To get those regularly you needed a few things he said... first when you got your 1 song to dance to on the main stage you needed to be engaged, use the pole, show some athleticism, have a routine, show that you could move slowly, fluidly and with rhythm and then not disappoint in the cock department (hen nights want you half hard but they never splash cash, gay guys wanna see you 'tied off' and to get you half hard later). You also needed a great 'barside manner' - these guys have to approach clients, say hello, hold a conversation, hold the customer's attention and then move it from amiable to libidinous in seconds. It's a tougher skill than the pole by all accounts - and the real money makers are the guys who you think genuinely like you.

I'm thinking that the latter skill might be something that we tap into for a session or two on engagement....

Time for a wee break

So with both of us getting excited as soon as the temperature gets above minus 10 we decided that it was time for a little break - and so we're off to Cuba... home of Fidel, British honeymooners, no Americans, cigars, pieced together old cars, the phrase "that may be difficult", old crooners, hot swingers and rum.

Hurrah. Oh and Huzzah!

Tomorrow is a 5am start to get the 6.30am train to Toronto... early as hell but trying to avoid the airports while they're crazy.

Finally getting down to some work

I write the blog from me new office (hurrah) where I'm sheltering from the cold, the snow and the generally Januariness and working on a couple of proposals that I need to get out into the world.

Last night's floatation bath did me the world of good (although the salt has played havoc with my skin and I'm not sure that it was a great idea for Jude) as did the massage afterward.

Today has been a little less relaxed though I was befriended by a middle aged Russian lady who insisted on cutting up some fresh ginger and dropping it into my tea as I "looked cold on the inside" - to warm herself up she poured generous amounts of French Vodka into her black tea as she told me the story of how she got to Montreal, the dark bear of a husband she left behind in Russia and her poly-lingual daughter. It's nice to be back in a city.

Dominated by shoots

I realize that this blog is fast becoming dominated by photo shoots - but right now I'm in full photo shoot mode... it really does help me to have 2 hrs a day where I'm totally focused, concentrated, relaxed and actually in charge. Once I have the shoots done I can then get on with real work; and I tend to be more productive. I'm starting to get to know my models too, which is always a good thing. It makes me feel as though they're confident in my abilities and makes them more relaxed right from the start of the shoot.

Anyway today (tomorrow and Friday) was about more of the Playboy stuff and this time it was a lo-fi sauna look that we were going for. Very unedited versions of what it's going to look like here...

And a shot that I took during the 'set light' phase here.

Tomorrow is Indian woman doing Native American (geddit?) poses

And we follow that with a very soapy bath shot and a young woman who speaks no English...

Watching the world walk by

So I sign on the new office space today... and as I was a little early I decided to take advantage of Starbuck's and Bell's Two Hours of Free Internet with a triple shot latte (I'm not sleeping and need a kick start) on St Catherine - Montreal's main(stream) shopping drag.

The view from the window is very Montreal. Tanned people in Canada Goose jackets promenading. Tourists trying to work out the parking poles. A restaurant 'O.Noir' that serves its food in total darkness, a Lebanese lunch place and of course "XXX XXX Spectacle Erotique Studio Octopussy" which flies the Quebec, US and Canadian flag and has old school neon signs  promising "Live XXX shows"

A scan of their website shows that it's this girl who pulled the dead zone shift today - Alehandra will doubtless be filing her nails between 'exotic massage' and 'erotic dance' - the smell of bleach heavy in her nostrils as a man who never thought that the job existed mops down the cum stained floors from the night before - in a bid to give his children a chance at a better future.

A few doors down Sexe Cite offers a more wholesome 'toys and costumes' experience... but the real life is always on the floor just above eye level.

Never give a nervous model an easy out

So today I was supposed to shoot a model who's a competitive figure skater (I think, maybe an ice dancer)... his profile said that he was comfortable shooting nudes and he approached me to be a part of my Playboy shoot - and to get some more 'wet and wild' shots for his portfolio. The fact that his portfolio doesn't have any nude shots should have really alerted me to trouble ahead - but the truth is I don't really care whether people wanna get nude or not - I just wanna shoot some.

Anyway as the days went by and his messages came through clearer and clearer. Could he bring an escort? Could he wear boxer briefs? Could he move the date? I tried my best to be reassuring - yes a chaperon is fine, wear as much or little as you feel comfortable with; I'm flexible on times and dates.

Of course what I forgot in all of this was to give him my address. And by the time I did he had a legitimate 'it's a Sunday, traffic will be murder, can we reschedule?' excuse. Schoolboy error from me; fair enough on his part and another date set up. But as I'd set up light and the most lo-fi set to date it seemed a shame to waste effort (even effort as minimal as this) and so it was off with the togs, up with the lights and on with the show.

The results aren't great but they keep me on track, on schedule and (when posted on the fridge) on the diet. Oh well... onwards and upwards.

What I did today

Today I took some old lenses, an April 1970 Playboy magazine, a 5' 3" Welder from Montreal and a couple of hours and did this.

Tomorrow I'll start to work on a lot of the other images that we shot together and turn them into something that's lovely and shiny.

I do love the 'digital age' - even though there will be no record of it at all in centuries to come

In the swing

So after a small gap to tend to Judith's raw eyes after her Lasik surgery (she can see again, more on her blog I'm sure) I'm back in the swing and taking a bunch of pictures over the next three or four days.

In about a half hour I have this guy

Followed by two people tomorrow... both shooting Playboy Centerfolds for me...

Oh and I have this girl lined up for a date on Sunday too

It's gonna be busy I think

Liverpool House

Last night we had dinner at Liverpool House - the third in a row of "The Menu is on the chalkboard" restaurants owned by the same people and saddled with a stellar reputation.

The atmosphere was great, rustic, laid back, busy and buzzy. The wait staff sexy (in an Angelina Jolie, 'I cut myself' way) and knowledgeable - but like Liverpool FC the overall experience didn't live up to the promise and the whole thing faded as the campaign went on. Throw in a bill for $150 (with only one of us drinking and a shared dessert) and you have a recipe for disappointment. Rather like this post.

But then it's 7.15am, I'm prepping for Jude's eye surgery at 8.15 and the animals are growling, prowling and punting for food

More industrious than a 6 year old Chinese factory worker promised adoption upon completion of her 50,000th shoe

I've been working hard today. First and foremost I think that I've found an office space - one that I can share with others in small, creative businesses, yet still grow into.

It's cute, it feels right, the people are around the 'right' age, there are conference rooms, a meeting space and lockers and it's not hideously expensive. Plus it's in a pretty cool part of town. Just waiting on some sort of condo / co-op committee approval now.

I also started to pen an idea that I think might actually do some good in the world. I know a lot of people who specialize in trend forecasting - and they tend to be good at identifying how people are feeling and what kind of emotion they'd be searching for as a result. Then I know a lot of people who can take a product and link it to an emotion via ads, packaging, design and editorial. Where there's a gap is in the middle --- someone who can take the trends, turn them into products and brief the comms people on what the product does. That someone could be us. I hope. Vague I know - but there you go.

I also did lots of house things today - polishes, cleaners, tidying, bills, buying food, thinking recipes... it doesn't take too long and I actually find that I enjoy it. Which is very odd. Still may be short lived as I have a trip to Toronto next week that I'm hoping will result in some work and a couple of projects further afield on a low simmer.

Fingers crossed on the space...

Not quite what I expected

So yesterday, after skiing, I had a shoot with a model. He was looking for some headshots and some gritty, grainy outdoor stuff... I was looking for some fun studio stuff and a pose for my "70s Playboy Centerfolds made-over series"

Of course I was most excited about the last one - as it's the first in a series of 120 and I'm hoping to shoot a full year (12 shots) over the next two weeks.

But of course what happened was that all of the shots for his thing are gorgeous - the best pictures that I've taken to date in my opinion - while all the stuff I did for myself is, well just a little "Reader's Wives"... I guess that you live and learn... here's a very roughly edited version of the first in what will be 120 shots for your perusal... and many thanks to Sam for being as patient (and as game) as he was.

And he takes... the Bronze

With the snow coming down,   people spinning off the road, winds whipping up the 6 feet high drifts and snow banks into devil's tendrils and people generally driving as though there was a medal for pussydom we headed for Bromont and the ski slopes...  where I took a lesson, got a feel for the mountain, lifted my head, conquered the ski lift and moved smoothly and with parallel skis down the mountain - slowly but in complete control.... result? I passed my Bronze level and now have a lesson lined up for silver (speed, control and more parallel)

Of course keen to show off my new found skills to Judith I promptly slipped, skidded, fell, floundered and generally flailed at the very sight of her... but then she has that effect on some men. Waiting for a model to show up now... hope it's gonna happen

Getting a life - on hold due to holiday

So I wanted to start the New Year in a co-working office space, the kinda place where people in funky glasses hang out and sip whatever is cooler than lattes while playing with the i-phone apps that they wrote themselves. But alas Montreal is closed today. Having New Year fall on a Friday was just the excuse we needed to close shop for three days - and every excuse to pack up and go home is snatched with a glee usually reserved for C-list celebrities invited to a Red Carpet event.

You can't even get a Lesbian haircut. Which must surely be a sign of the apocalypse - or something.

Anyway here's the to-do list currently hostage to Montreal's "oh no you don't" start to 2010

1. Pills to stop the over excited dog's diarrohea
2. Find an office space with people I want to spend time with
3. Sign up one interested, circling, client for January - and another for February
4. Get the new company website designed, up and running
5. Finally become a regular at the camera club
6. Get my 'success refund' from the French Language Class people - use to to sign up for more French
7. Book a ticket to Toronto, hold meetings there
8. Get back to the ski slopes
9. Lose the last 4 lbs
10. Shoot all 10 models interested in doing Playboy Centerfold project with me

They're not in order of importance... but getting #1 done would be good.
Time to start making phone calls I think

Steve

The things you hear at weddings

I was at a friend's wedding last week when during dinner Mini Marilyn Manson called to say that he was snowed in (there was about 2 inches of snow, but I guess you have to work to scale) and that he'd not be able to perform at the wedding after all. The groom was actually crushed but made my evening when he shrugged and said "I guess it's always the little things that let you down"