T & A, Work and Paying for the Privilege

So I just got home from another tour of Melbourne last night. 9 days of sleeping in, home cooking, freezing my tits off and catching up with awesome people... and doing fuck-all work. It's nice to have a holiday, but not really a good thing, the fuck-all work part I mean. I really hate to go on about it, but FOR FUCK'S SAKE. It is my job, afterall.
Le sigh.
And before you start, yes, photography is a job. Just because it's not 9-5 in an office does not mean you can give me shit about it. I'd rather do this and be poor than waste 30 years of my life playing worker drone and bitching around the water cooler for a 401k and a gold watch. I'd end up being the one putting the goddamn bomb on the bus.

Although whilst in Melbourne I did play model briefly. Irony, hello.
Keep an eye out for those photos, care of Hana Schlesinger and Sarah Walker.

It put me in mind to wonder why the hell it is that I (or anyone else from Adelaide) has to travel interstate in order to shoot people and then be turned down because they can't pay. On the flipside, those that DO want to pay generally happen to be friends, in which case you feel more than a bit bizarre accepting any form of monetary compensation because they're the people that shouldn't have to pay you when you already owe them more than money. Paradox.

But basically, I really do think it's about time more people came HERE for a change. No, really.

I am sick of people ragging on Adelaide. It's a nice city. It's my HOME. I get PAID here.

Can everyone kindly get the fuck over it.

In a similar vein, I've shot a few people in the past that have in turn become not just friends but practically family who experience the same problems regarding payment for their work - and they get their kit off ffs.
One such sister is Meluxine, a Sydney-based model who is the embodiment of Science Geek, Rock Chick and Femme Fatale in a single package. Basically, she's a babe with a brain and models when she's not saving the world's population of animals from nasty evil people and global warming.

 'Love Spit Love', 2008 by moi

We were discussing the fact that she has had offers from many photographers (from amateurs to pros and every hobbyist, student and pervert inbetween) regarding nude modelling work, but then never hears back from them when she flashes her rates. And they're not bad, believe me.

Unfortunately, people seem to think that getting naked (and sometimes dirty) should be an automatic free addition to any model's repetoire, regardless of situation, place and persons. I say Bollocks.
Naturally, there are circumstances that should be taken into account, such as the model being close enough to the photographer that nudity is not an issue (ie. friends or partners), that the photographer is established enough that it would benefit the model's portfolio to be associated with them (ie. Spencer Tunick) or some other mutually agreed scenario between the two parties that means everyone is happy, no one is being taken advantage of and everything is rainbows and kittens and bears, oh my.

Wow, that was convenient.
All fine print and Libran duality aside, if you expect a model to get naked, it's worth your while to pony up the cash. Likewise, if you want a particular photographer's style of work, you should be willing to pay for it.
And if you expect either of them to do even more than that, well... that's for another time. And a lot of vodka.

Or maybe I'm wrong. Thoughts? Arguements? Abuse?
Bear in mind this is MY personal opinion afterall, don't take it as law. I tend to see both sides of a situation and agree and disagree with points for and against - it's in my nature to, whether I like it or not.
But I am entitled to my opinion, just as you are to yours. And I want to hear yours.

Well, maybe.



Hey look, AIR! *runs*

Wow, I'm a slack bitch aren't I... (NSFW)

I really need to pull my head out and update this a lot more.
I keep meaning to, only I get distracted. And then there's far too much to write and I can't be bothered.

So, in the meantime, have some boobs:

Say Cheese!

Model/MUA: Scar

Cheetos Concept: Eirik Aswang

Assistants: Billy, Hana & Mus

LA, November 2009

Aftermath noms with Hana

We love Scar. We miss Scar. And we miss LA.
*sad panda*

What a Load of Crop

You know what drives me crazy? Well, one of the many many things that does?

Nuances. Tiny little nuances. In this case, in editing.
Seemingly insignificant differences that can make or break an image, can change the whole feel or perspective, the meaning, the look, you freakin' name it.

Too much editing, not enough editing, the contrast, the colours, the brightness, the highlights, the shadows, the saturation, the levels, curves, angle, width, height, too much burning, not enough dodging, the goddamn CROPPING! These are the things that keep me up at night, the reason my eyes are shot and why it takes MONTHS for people to get shots back to them, because for that very simple reason of I am driving myself to drink over something as miniscule as whether or not to shift the colour balance up +1 to make it more blue or not. Because it has to be RIGHT, dammit!!

Are ya getting a clear picture of my mental health? Excellent. I am all kinds of crazy.

Which brings me to my point. How many of you have the same problem?
Please tell me it's not just me >_<

Tonight I am battling with the aspect of cropping (after having dealt with all of the above). Below you have two versions of the same identical image, only they have been cropped differently. One has more space at the base of the image, and includes the edge of the sink, giving it a framed and defined appearance. The other has had the sink edge cropped out, giving a more solid impact and freer feeling, but with a different mood. Or maybe it's just me, I dunno.


Observe. Miss India Rose, photographed back in September 09, up to her ears in water and hair:

Full length version

Cropped version

Which is better? Which would you choose? Why!
Normally, when you've got the image 'right' (in your own sense of what is 'right') then you know. You just know. But what happens when you have two versions - hell, even three or more - that you like, that say different things to you and you want to use? Do you pollute the internet with your multiple images or do you chop and change between them on your various networking sites (my usual answer to this problem, but not a fulfilling one). Or should you just bite the bullet and go with the 'original' version of the image because that is what the purists will have you believe is the only 'true' shot? Or the cropped version, because who are we to be bound by convention when all we care about is the end result? ARGH.

Your thoughts are welcome. Believe me I haven't got a solid yes or no for this one. Just the Crazy.

Ok, that's gotten it out of the system for one night. Time for bed.


H
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(OB)have!

...I did mention I take photos, didn't I?

Well, probably time I actually showed you some. These are from a shoot I did with the lovely Kat back in July of 2009. I finally got a chance to sit down and finish one the other night, the first edit of 2010, so here 'tis.

'(OB)have!'

Model/MUA: Kat Young

Assistant: Vera Ada

Inspired by True Blood (and Kat's little thing with Vampires)

And some outtakes, 'cos she's such a cutey...

All images copyright 2010 Harmony Nicholas

More to come... eventually.
I need coffee, dammit.

H
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Ellen von Unwerth, or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the Bombshell

Ellen von Unwerth. Tell me you know who she is.

You don't? Well why the FUCK not.

Let me put it to you simply. To me, she's the female version of Helmut Newton - they go hand in hand as two of my alltime favourite photographers and hardcore delusions of grandeur. She's one of the best female photographers of our time, and is still out there working her buns off to bring you delicious imagery on a near daily basis... and you don't even have the decency to know who she is. For shame.
It's criminal how often I mention her to people and watch them cock their heads quizically to the side and whimper as I sigh heavily and link them to her work. Like now, really.

So to save time, and help you save face, here's a sample of the rather saucy stuff that leaps lusciously from her salivating lens. In other words, lots of pretty girls looking hot in designer clothing. All win.

 

 

All images are copyright Ellen von Unwerth and her respective clients

Consider that a taste to whet your appetite. Or to get the blood flowing away from your head, depending on who reads this stuff. Flex that grey matter...and maybe the pink bits as well.

Either way, get off ya butts and go research her work. She is well worth your time.

Don't let the name fool you ;)

H
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Eye Candy is Dandy - literally in this case

Today I'm going to make it short, sharp and to the point because I have too much work to do and brevity is a blessed thing when dealing with the nature of blogging.
So here goes. What does nearly every red-blooded, base-minded, non-Leibovitz team-batting female photographer (and a very high percentage of males) want access to on the internet?

Boys. Hot boys. Hot male models to be exact.
And clothes. Lots of clothes. Vintage if possible.

Or a combo of the two. Like the CK models of the Bruce Weber era. You know, like Marcus Shrak... Schrek... Schecken... um this guy.

Marcus Schenkenberg on iamchiq.com

Or these bozos.

From OhLaLaMag and the March 09 edition of OUT

Who doesn't like that?

Which brings me to my point. In case you don't know of them, in case - like me - you had never even heard of them, I'm bringing you two very nice little links.
Go look at these sites.

thefashionisto.com and vintagetrends.com

I must thank Mus and DW for pointing me in their direction, you boys know your shit. It gives me hope.

Now I know I don't need to tell you WHY you should look at pictures of lovely boys in designer threads on a near daily basis. That's fairly obvious - Armani makes a damn nice suit and you need a pretty cheekboned forest child to wear it properly. Plus it makes for inspirational research.

Vinnie Woolston for Superfine, shot by Jan Welters

God/Calvin Klein put these kids on this big floating rock so we could aspire to shoot them/style them/con our men into looking like them or buying their underwear so we could then in turn rip it off (and possibly breed with their kind) so just go with it. Please do not hate me for having a pulse, or an opinion.

But I digress. Whilst I might not need to throw you at pretty boys, it IS my civic duty (and part of my bail agreement - jk) to tell you that you have to take the time out to properly traul through the near inexhaustable depths of Vintage Trends because, well... here's an example.

Did someone say genuine 80s Gianni Versace faux Zebra jacket for $125? I think they did.

It's not really to my taste but it seems to be what all the kids are wearing nowadays so I'm using it to grab your attention. In other words, LOOK! SHINY!!
And that's just the start. I'm pretty sure you've got the picture.
So... why are you still reading?

BOYS. CLOTHES. GO.

Next week, we discuss the ongoing relevence of Baudrillard's 'simulacra' and the endless pursuit of the ideals of 'happiness' and 'completion' in a post-modernist society.
And maybe blow some shit up.

Old dogs, New tricks

So, you know that whole digital thing?

How it basically raped photography forever by coming in and sweeping its benefactors off their feet with its shiny new technology and user-friendly functionality? Kind of like Mae West in some Hollywood classic about the dazzling gold digger and her scores of glazed-over hot blooded suitors chasing her tail til she bleeds them dry and they go home to their trusting wives. Only the wives have jumped ship for an old fashioned Rolleiflex kinda guy, like Cary Grant.

Yup, he's doing your wife.

Anyway, I digress.

I'm not going to get into a big thing about it. But what I am going to do is remind you guys that the digital age is still new, and since it's still new that means there are decades worth of old second hand once-cherished-now-abandoned cameras out there aching for a new home and another chance at life.

Get your asses out there. Hunt through your local thrift stores and op shops, garage sales and ebay auctions and see what you can snag. There are bargain basement deals going on diamonds like Leicas and Hasselblads every damn day, stuff that you used to have to take a loan out to get your hands on. And if you're a pop culture kid with hipster stylings and floppy hair, then you're in even better luck because the stuff you'll want - the plastic fantastic colourful instamatic cliche - is even cheaper and more readily available. It'll help you look, like, wicked cool... or whatever.

Observe:
I picked these two kids up at my local trash and treasure market. Both in perfect working order, and for a price that made me slightly ill knowing how much they would have been worth originally.
Of course that didn't stop me from haggling the guy down a few bucks!

Polaroid 660 Auto Focus - $8



Hanimex LF Tele 110 - $5



Now I know what you're going to say - Polaroid is dead and 110 is a myth.
Well you're full of it. Mark my words, polaroid WILL be back. In the last year or two (3?) that it's officially been out of production the price of film has gone up, but so has the general outcry over the end of this classic creature. If the Impossible Project gets its way, we'll see Polaroid back on the shelves in no time - so GET IN NOW and get your cameras at the ready, you're in for a big bang.
And in the meantime, make sure every single shot you take on your precious stash of polaroids is a winner. That stuff's more expensive than cocaine.

As for 110, it DOES exist, you can still get it, and some places will still develop it. Do your damn research, it's not that hard. Google is your friend. So is eBay.

Go, NOW. Give an old dog a home. Teach it some new tricks. Nothing beats the satisfaction of getting a great shot on one of these babies.
Do it for me. Do it for yourself.
But most importantly, do it for Cary.



H
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