At last...

Yes!...At last I did the image that has been haunting me for about 6 months. This image has been in development way before the "Talking to the Fairies" image. this one was supposed to start the whole Modernizing fantasy Collection. But time, models, and editing schedules didn't make it happen.

But today I was browsing trough some old galleries. About 2 year old galleries. And stumbled to this image, and suddenly it clicked. This was going to be the "The Fall of the Crow Princess" image. And so I started to work on it. And 4 hours after I am happy to show you guys the end result. So here it is. BTW it is my favorite image of the year, and probably ever. The original image was taken about 2 years ago and it is actually an senior image that I took of my beautiful cousin Maritere Mediavilla Ortiz. So thank you Marity for letting the image in my head come to life.

Th Fall of the Crow Princess

Modernizing Fantasy: Full Steam Ahead!

I know that i have not written a blog entry in a while and I have to blame my "addiction" to video games and movies for that. I mean, Gears of War 3, then Assassins Creed Revelations, with a little bit of Ico/Shadow of the Colossus in between, before tackling Batman: Arkham City.  And there are a lot of video games I do want to play. Thank God I didn't start playing Skyrim because then i would have not be writing this blog entry. Not to mention watching The Immortals, The Muppets, and a lot of replaying Super 8.

Anyways, I had been planning a shoot with a really good friend of mine for a while. It would be part of my Modernizing Fantasy Collection and the idea came to me while doing the Dryad. I had one word for the theme and a rough sketch of what I wanted, the word was "Valkyrie". And then I started to do some test on wings, and clothes, and fabrics, and background. This was interrupted by the video games and the movies (seriously I have watched Super 8 like 25 times as of this writing). But then I came back on track when I finally did the shoot for it. My friend, she is a natural model and she doesn't even know it. After 5 frames I already had what i needed, but went and took different poses just in case.

So I started working on the images immediately, editing the background, adding wings, a lance, skirt, buckle, and just when I thought that I had the image finished I took a break from it. The image looked good, but I always let it rest for a couple of days before I finish it, that way I see it with fresh eyes and a fresh mind. And even thought I had finished editing the image, inspiration hits me once again. I usually get new ideas while finishing an image, and most of the time I use those ideas for other shoots. For example when I did the Dryad I thought about putting wings in it, and that is how I came to do the Valkyrie.

Inspiration hit me while watching the movie "The Rocketeer" (a highly underestimated-while-ahead-of-it's-time movie). I thought about doing something Steampunk style, and I thought about doing another shoot with this theme. But in my head all I could see was tackling the Valkyrie in a steampunk way. And it took some time to do it, but here it is. I call it The Flight of the Valkyrie. I hope you like it as much as I do. This is probably the final image, but since I thought the same thing about the Valkyrie I am not sure anymore :). All I know is that I have a special place set aside for the huge print in one of the walls of my office.

Modernizing Fantasy....once again.

So, after I finished the water nymph image, and after I posted the blog, and the image on Facebook, etc, I started planning my next shoot. It will be called "Valkyrie in the battlefield", and while checking for ways to do it, I kind of took a break. And on that break I went back to some other images that I wanted to use. And as soon as I saw this image of the model not looking at the camera with a "tree like" pose on her I immediately got an image of a "Dryad" (forest nymph sort of speak) in my head. And after I finished the water dressed nymph I knew that I was up to the challenge and that I would not stop until I got this image out of my head and into "reality"

So without further ado here it is. I call this image "The dance of the dryad", enjoy!

Modernizing Fantasy

Imagination is the best form of creativity that I can think of. At least for the photography world. It takes skill and lots of work but when the final image comes out better than what you intended or imagined , then everything just falls into place afterwards. And even more so when that first idea you had becomes "reality" trough your camera, more ideas keep popping in your head, the worse part of it is filtering them.

A few weeks ago I did a shoot for myself. Some photographers might say "It is for my portfolio" and even tho I can use it for my portfolio, the intention was for it to be printed and hanged on the wall of my office. Also it is a little bit "great idea" and a little bit "let's see if I can pull this out" but once you do it all the other ideas that you had doesn't seem as crazy or as unattainable. But it all comes down to logistics.

The logistics of a shoot are not as simple as anyone might imagine. You need the right equipment, the right set of skills, and the perfect model. I had an idea of trying to modernize fantasy, even if it is just changing the wardrobe of the model while maintaining a "fantasy" setting. But at the same time inspiration comes in with new ideas, new visions, new images on your mind. For example I was riding my bike one day in a 104 degree weather, and maybe it was because I was dehydrated, or just hallucinating, but all I could think about was "If only my clothes were made out of water". I got home and started writing down my ideas, and started researching. Because 1) I wanted to check if someone had done it before, 2) check if a lot of people had done it before, 3) I wanted to see if it could be done without having to hire Industrial Light & Magic or Weta Workshop (which I don't have the money to hire anyways) and 4) to see if I was "imagining" something unattainable at the time. This was around 6 months ago. But now I can say that it was so much worth the wait. But a little back story before I show you guys the image.

So what have I been doing for the past 6 months? Well a lot of practice. A lot of tests, and a lot of time in the computer trying to figure out my limitations to achieve that picture that was sitting in my mind's eye. Also a lot of "model scouting". The perfect model for the shoot is what will make the shoot "real". I have been browsing Model Mayhem, and doing different "normal" shoots to see if that particular model is right for the shoot. Also I have been looking at a lot of their galleries if I couldn't set a day to do a shoot with that particular model. But planning for this coming shoot has not deterred my imagination, if anything it has made it more alive. So once I took pictures of a subject I would think "She can pull this other idea I have". 

This image was another idea I had. It was born in my head about 4 months ago. But was kind of in the back burner because, if I couldn't find a model for the "water" idea, then I wouldn't find someone for this other idea I had. And the idea came to me because another friend of mine, Bree Gerth, makes these AWESOMELY AWESOME leather masks. I saw one and I had this idea of "modernizing fantasy". Trying to give fantasy a modern flavor to it. Maybe with just the clothes or the location. I had that mask in my possession thinking I would never find someone for the idea I had. But then I did a shoot with a great friend of mine and immediately knew that she would be perfect for it. And she was. She didn't get it at first, but she rocked the session. The images turned out great but I was looking for that "perfect" image, so I could start working on it. 15 minutes after I started clicking the shutter the image came to life. But it needed a lot of love before it was as close as what I had in my head.

And it came out just as I envisioned it. A warrior princess talking with a fairy. And when I actually finished it I got the courage to tackle the one that I thought it would be a lot of work on my part. So I contacted the model to see if she wanted to do it, and she was up for it. I explained to her what i wanted and said "The end product might take a while to be done", and she was OK with that. Again after 15 minutes I already had the image that I needed. So I did a small photo shoot for the model so she could have images of the day. Just regular fashion/beauty shots, because I thought that the "water dress" would take a LONG time in the making.

But I underestimated my drive to get the image out from my mind's eye and into "reality". The day after the shoot I started working on it, laying the "ground work" on it. Editing the little details that I knew would make my life and job easier. After half an hour I had a water dress flowing. And that is when I thought to myself "This will take a lot less time than I thought". So I started working hard on the image, an hour here, 45 minutes there. Taking some breaks, of course, so I could have a life. Went bowling with some friend and the next day woke up with a "I am going to finish this image today" kind of attitude. And that is when the exact same image I had in my head came to life.



A water nymph walking away from the city. This image (and the one before it) will be part of my Modernizing Fantasy Collection, in which I try to have images of fantasy "characters" but with a modern flavor to it. In the first image is just a shirt and some jeans, in the second image she is wearing a leather jacket and leather boots. And I call it a "collection" because even before I was done with this second  image I already had ideas for two more, and I know they will keep on coming as more of my mental images come to life. Next project is called "Valkyrie" and that one will be awesome (if it comes out just as I imagine it)

At the park with the Cangemi's...

I have been a little bit busy and not that I have forgotten about blogging, but sometimes the schedule doesn't let me. I have been working on some projects (that I can't post about just yet) and those are taking a lot of my time. Logistics is a time consuming thing in the world of photography.

But excuses aside, I wanted to show you a couple of images from a shoot I did of the Cangemi's. A lovely family, that loves each other so much. They wanted simple pictures of their kids and this is what I got for them. Hope you enjoy.

Fun times at the crossing.

Here are a couple of previews from an awesomely fun and amazing shoot that I had with L. Demoll over at Pillsbury Crossing. I had not posted them before because we wanted her husband, who is proudly serving overseas (and we are proud of him for doing so), to see them first. I hope you enjoy the previews. I know I love these images.

Yes I am a NERD...and proud of it!

The term "nerd" is used freely nowadays, but I remember when being a nerd was a not only a lifestyle but a status, if you were a nerd then you wouldn't meet "chicks" and will live a lonely life. Probably you will work on some computer business type of work and you will make lots of money, but still you would meet "chicks". And I am an old school nerd, since I was little I was obsessed with video games. It started when my parents got me and my brother an Atari 2600, since then I was hooked. I still played outside, and we still rode our bikes once in a while, but with the arrival of the NES at my house those stuff got shoved under the "this stuff takes away from my gaming time" rug. So obviously I got a GameBoy. Yes the old white huge brick, and a clear one. And those shades of green was the best thing since sliced bread. I could play games on the go. Then came the Sega Genesis, and the SNES. Me and my brother had both. We still played outside and rode our bikes, but we had to make up time for that.

Then Sony comes out with this thing called a "Play Station?", worst name ever. But still we got it, well my brother did. My cousin got the Sega Saturn but that system didn't pan out that well. But then I got the N64 and Goldeneye, and that was college life awesomeness. Every year I would get hooked more and more on video games, and the love for graphic design. This lead to my love for photography anyways. Then came the PS2, the Sega Dreamcast and the Gamecube. And those where the days. Never got into the Xbox bandwagon because I thought that Microsoft was going to drop the ball on that one. But as it turned out it wasn't that bad so they came up with the new version, the Xbox360. And achievements, and now I am still hooked on games, even more so now that I can buy the games that I want without asking my parents for money.

But I had never loved a video games series more than Mario (and all the different iterations of that franchise) until I put it this new game called Gears of War on my brand new Xbox360. It was love at first chainsaw kill. I got so hooked in that game that I finished it in 2 days. And then came back for more and more. So then I read somewhere that they were coming out with novels inspired on Gears of War, novels that would expand the story and the universe, and I had to have them. I read every page of those books like a fat kid goes trough a cupcake (I am fat so its okay for me to use the "F" word). I devoured them, and then they came out with Gears of War 2. Better graphics, more story, and awesomeness all around. I was in heaven. A few books came out that expanded the story even more. And of course I got them and read them. And all of that lead to this day, September 20, 2011, a day that will always live on forever as "The Day Gears of War 3 came out".

I had preordered the game, but the store had me for the regular edition. But since I had the Limited editions to both previous games it wouldn't be right to just buy the regular one, so Thank The Stars I found one. I of course bought it without hesitation. And here it is, the unboxing of the best Gears of War Limited Edition box (yes, I did a photo shoot on a video game box). Hope you enjoy these.

Complete box, front and back respectively.

Without the jacket (left), it splits open (right). That is the video game disc right there.

You pull the top part and you have the Octus Medal granted to Adam Fenix for his work on the Hammer of Dawn (left), You pull out the disc box and under it is a C.O.G. Flag (right)

Cog flag unfolded (left).
Inside of the flag there was all this stuff. Adam Fenix last will, schematics for the Hammer of Dawn, two pictures (he looks like Marcus on the bottom one), a letter he wrote to Marcus when he was younger, and the Octus Medal "diploma".

Again, Yes I did a photo shoot on a video game box. Some people have cars, others have motorcycles. I have photography, bicycles, and video games. Yes I am a nerd, and even thought I cant play the game yet (because I have a photo shoot in about 1 hour from posting this, and if I put it in the console I wont be able to go), I cant wait to do so. Brothers until the end, because we are all stranded now. See you in the battle field, I'll bring my Lancer Rifle. I told you I was a nerd.