Its not exactly half way through the year but after just coming out of an awful three weeks bout of lurgy, it has provided a natural 'enforced' break.
So whats the story so far? Well by this time last year I'd had three times as many shoots, and a huge backlog of artwork/editing. This year I didnt want that to happen again. I had too much to do in too little time and moans from models that I was taking too long didn't help...have you any idea how long some of those images can take? As one model fired a blast at those impatiently waiting saying...you should have done your homework, isnt this why you've shot with him! Forcing out images as fast as possible just does not do anyone any justice, and to be quite honest had I not been getting hassle I think I could have turned out better images.
This year I feel that the images have improved as I've had more time in a couple of cases to experiment and delve into what can be done as well as allow myself time to be inspired by the process of working on these images. I could happily shoot every other day and edit on the days between, but thats not what I do, its not what I want to produce. I still see images with gorgeous models, great makeup and styling and then nooooo grey background..wrooooong! Its NOT complete....does it matter, everyone still seems to fawn over the results.
Although cutting down on shoots has given me more time to work on images, I did realise that it wasn't really the answer as to why I'd actually cut down. I think its more about dissatisfaction with where its all going or not going. I dont want to churn out more of the same, there has to be a constant evolution and boldly going where no tog has bla bla bla. Its also about producing or creating something that you consider an achievement, but that people look at and it really doesnt seem to do very much for them..... maybe I should just get a grey background.
Or when you think you've produced a great set of images and the model doesnt even acknowledge the results let alone thank you for the time and effort put in.
Last year I had so many discussions where the models mysteriously vanished ( I think they'll probably be deposited back on Earth in 2012 when the aliens arrive). So in an attempt to prevent that happening this year any model that I havent shot with before I've said that I'm adopting a policy of not working with them to avoid the timewasting discussions. Actually I haven't adopted that policy at all, but its interesting to see what the reaction is. Some have just accepted this and others have been adamant that it will not happen with them, and continued to want to arrange a shoot. The ones that have accepted my new 'policy' can't have been that interested in the first place, so maybe its working to an extent.
Its still disappointing though when you answer models that you DO know, say on facebook, who have an idea for a shoot and your replies are blanked. Then they'll rant later about online manners. I wonder if you even know who you are.
In October we've got the Secret Nuclear Bunker shoot 7 lined up. The first one for two years, with almost all bunker newby models, and arranged away from the farce that NetModel has become...exciting times ahead....but we also came up with two other groupshoots. One at a privately owned Aviation museum, and one at privately owned Tank and Military vehicle collection where we could have climbed in and out of a variety of tanks and vehicles (unlike most tank museums), they were even going to fuel up the massive Centurion and drive it out for us! The response to the tank collection, was quite pathetic and I would even say bordering on rude or ignorant. That event was cancelled and as a result I cancelled the Aviation museum shoot too. We've done so much for the Alt Photography & Modelling community in the UK that I feel a bit better support from some of you people out there would not go amiss. It does reinforce the idea of just going for locations with a very small invite only bunch of photographers and models.
On top of that I've already had a previous blog ranting about the interest or lack of, from magazines for events which should be treated as being at the forefront of the alternative scene.
Well for one thing I've had enough of waiting for scraps of exposure to drop from the table of publications (poetic or what!) and to be grateful for a tiny poorly reproduced and cropped image. Wow I've been published, quick stick the magazine under a microscope so I can see which image it was!
I also had enough of Net-Model. A site that when I first joined back in 2006, was a great community and despite arguments all over the place, it was a vibrant site that always had something happening, and carried on like that for a few years...now its like an old wounded animal, shoot it for Gods sake, put it out of its misery. I look in there out of habit, theres usually about 12 models logged in, and the same blinkered togs, locked in there out of habit, maybe not daring to admit to themselves that the site and maybe themselves have outlived their usefulness, maybe they should all shoot themselves as well. Or maybe I should join PureShit or is it MingerStorm...oooo Harsh! (but true)
Hah! well a jolly, positive and uplifting blog this is!
Well in a way it is. Once you decide what really matters, what you want to avoid, what needs to be flushed down the toilet of mediocrity, then you can start to move forward and cast off everything that you feel is dragging you down.
So plans! Well lots of themes and projects coming up, I'd list them here but I'm not sharing ideas.
Collaboration with a very talented model/writer on photostories and possible graphic novels.
Producing magazines or one off publications of the events that we are involved in. I can already see it 'Tales from the Bunker', 'The Book of Bunker 7', 'The Bitch in the Bunker', 'Bunker 7 this time its personal', 'The Guinea Pig Breeders Gazette'....(they have guinea pigs at the bunker, as well as turkeys and a llama)
My Mum bought me my first proper comic when I was 6, it was Metal Men No.3 which incidentally I managed to get hold of a copy a few years ago. Then at 8 I got into Marvel comics, they were being reprinted in the UK as black and white weeklies, so it meant that my introduction to comics was at an early age with the very first stories of Thor, X-Men, Iron Man, Avengers, Dr. Strange amongst others. That must have had quite an effect on an impressionable 8 year old, in the days when there were two black and white channels on a crappy TV, no vids or DVD's , no satellite, no computers, no phones, and you basically had to rub two sticks together to get anything to work.
So 5 years later as I'm now 13 and thousands of comics later, I can see a few projects that will involve writing, graphic novels and using a real cast.
....I dont suppose anyone wants to be in a graphic novel?
'Look Mum I've been published!'
'Oh very nice dear, is it another little picture that I cant show to Auntie Doris?'
'No Mum..I'm a FUCKING SUPERHERO!!'
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