Canadian Sojourn Part 8

Nude female model, white shirts, old wooden fence, color image, county side.

To continue doing something with determination or resolve despite difficulties or an unlikely chance of succeeding.”


I really liked the people I met at the park, the kids, the families, and the older people who came too, but in a more sedate way. It was a good mix for a lonely traveler; people accepted me with few, if any questions asked. So I settled in, made friends if only for the short term. I met the whole families though their kids, often I was invited to dinner as well. One father invited me on a hike with this family, up Cadillac Mountain.

 

It was a nice climb though it took hours to hike. Little did I know the only reason I was invited was because the dad want me there if anything when wrong with him. I only found out on the way back down the mountain. The family staid at the mountain top while dad and I made the hike back down. The hike was nice both ways, dad opened up to me while I enjoyed the weather and the views. Wildflowers I’d never seen before, plus the mountain view were breathtaking. I was good and tired from the hike so I stayed in camp while he went back in car to get them.

 

 

Black and white image, red haired female model nude with a white shirt

It was a nice climb though it took hours to hike. Little did I know the only reason I was invited was because the dad want me there if anything when wrong with him. I only found out on the way back down the mountain. The family staid at the mountain top while dad and I made the hike back down. The hike was nice both ways, dad opened up to me while I enjoyed the weather and the views. Wildflowers I’d never seen before, plus the mountain view were breathtaking. I was good and tired from the hike so I stayed in camp while he went back in car to get them.

Black and white image, red haired female model transparent dress, front of an milk barn.

That was the lovely thing about the park, there were a whole range of people to meet and of course girls. By the right of owning a V-W bus, I became the natural go to guy for ride to the beach, or the mountain streams. One day I had a bus load of kids I was ferrying to the mountain so we could swim in stream of ice fed runoff; the sun never felt so good as after. Another day I was tasked with taking some guy to buy beer for that night’s party. As the only person to have a driver license that said I was 21 they told me that the beer would be free. The only fly in the ointment was that I had to carry each case out to the trunk by the owner of the store. That night at the party I heard a noise under me. I looked down and there was a girl crawling on the ground pickup beer caps; let me guess your a Virgo I said, yes she beamed.

Black and white image, red haired female model, old milk shed, spider top, headshot.
Michael Vasquez Art ©

*I recently learned that this model took her own life, she was in her mid-thirty, when she died. When I met her I felt that she was one of those people who would become very successful in her adult life. In the short life that she had she had made her mark on the world and brought great joy to those her knew her. Ruby I truly hope you have found peace at last.

Youngest Model to Date

Easily my youngest model, and most at risk. Just turned eighteen (18) with a toughness beyond her meager year. Already getting involved in the sex business, her portfolio was full of images that featured very intimate images. We made arrangement to meet, look over my work to see if she was interested in working with me. I told her point blank that her portfolio was showing too much of her, that no one was looking at her face. She very frostily informed me that she already had a manager. She agreed however to pose for me.

Youngest model, topless, young, work for trust, tough, street kid.

She came out of the bathroom in the cuties little bathrobe, smoking a mile a minute, her foot beating out a quick tattoo. Let out a burst of blue smoke and read me the rule for working with her. When on for at least five minutes, “any questions” she asked, taking in another lung-full of smoke. “ Yeah do you get naked?”, sure said she throwing of her bathrobe, giving me the feast your eyes on this look . While she preened for my benefit, “naw” I said, “lets get you in a dress!” She burst out laughing like the girl she still was, having been caught. In taking her down that peg, we became friends…, I showed her I could play as well.

Young, model, transpant dress, home stuido, sitting stool

We began in that dress as promised, soon she was nude, and man she could pose.., interesting stuff with very good moves. I asked her permission to shoot more anatomical shots, she agreed, but she didn’t want me to show them, they were for my own benefit. I had an idea, just in the formative stages of what I might like to do with them. She probably thought I was going to use them for my own enjoyment if you get my drift.

Young model, topless window in background, smiling.

Many years after, after I had a stroke, many long years recovery I finally had worked out that vision of what I wanted to do with the more intimate images I had captured. I worked over those images getting them just right. Then I sent them to her for her approval, want her to know that I wanted to donate our work to some groups who work for a positive sex culture, asked her if she agreed. To my great relief she agreed to let me use them. Working in a collaborative fashion is not for everyone, but I feel great that it works for me and my models.

Young, model, topless recline posel Black and White image.

Hiatus for August

I have been on a kind of summer hiatus, too hot to do much here in Texas, but sit under the air conditioning. Oh and sending out email looking for a model to work with. I seem to have gotten one from Austin to come down. Will let you know, that couple took a look at the map, and decided not to pose for me. I was so looking forward to shooting my first male nude, and a bit of their sexual relationship.

I also got a model for a friend of mine to paint. She a wonderful body painter who will be here in November for a competition. So I’ve been busy with art and not with the blog. I will make amends in the fall. Summer bring us cloudy morning, and blazing clear skies the rest of the day, so not good for product shooting. I’m talking about the mugs of mine, too many bright spots on each mug. But I did get a chance to practice with the backgrounds. Now I wait for those cloudy day that will come.

Later

Mugs

Here is a quick snap of the mugs I got from the lab.  I told them after seeing the first one to think artistic.  These were not mugs of the kids playing baseball or soccer that you sent to aunt Harriett.  These were original work of art that I was selling.  Told them to reduce the image by a quarter inch, and increase the space between the images by that same quarter inch.  Much much better, except that I wanted the insides black to match the black in the image.  Stay tuned.

Rope

Many genres draw my interest, I shoot my impression of a setting…, a cerebration…, an act. All my images are crafted using available light, reflectors, cards, and that most important ingredient: love of subject.

My goal is to create art of you and your body. To highlight the curves, the crevices, and to do so in a respectful manner…, all while capturing the essence of who you are at this particular moment. Explicit or not each image gives the subject some sense of privacy to her image.

Models come to me from many walks of life…, and for many different reasons. We work in collaboration, my model’s input is expected and welcome. Poses are offered, boundaries are pushed, yet respected. I do ask each model to come with an open mind, and a sense of play.

No releases are signed until each image is approve, I shoot for the art market only.

Date’s Matter

 

Playing with rope ideas with my favorite model, Jean Dawson.  Cross-processed, and out of date film…, love the starkness of the image, that brutal hard light.

That the magic has happened, it’s sitting there waiting to be processed. That part of the equation happens at the lab far away. About 10 days till I get a rough idea of what I have gotten; knowing that these scans mean nothing. All told 30 days to get the master scan back from the lab. Only then do I get my hands on the final image of this scan.

Overall I am very pleased with my exposure, held the details in the window. The knot holds-up well, many years since my tying days. A very patient model here as I fumble with remembering long ago combinations.

Image deserves a higher quality scan to get the colors to balance off her skin tone. Only then will I know what the image looks likes…, what I will have to work with. So not for the impatient, or for those in a rush. Time put into all aspects my work…, the care and feeding of a model, the care and feeding of my mind…, still able to come up with ideas. Then to pull it all off, for that magic to happen in camera. And at 70 you say!

BACK-LIT: MS RUBY

 

 

A twenty year old college student, so full of herself and her sexuality, she had dabbled in the porn industry a bit. When we met to discuss a possible shoot she came off as a world weary pro. But the quality of my work and the ideas I present intrigued her.

By the second shoot she was comfortable with me, the way I worked, and the way I respected her space. I’d told her that we would again be working out at the farm, but way off in a very rustic area.  Took her to the family graveyard, three old graves, a wooden fence surrounding the plot. This was to be a completely nude shoot. She worked very well, good poses, good movement. These are among my favorites, back-lit, motion, and soft focus. Arty shots.