Virginia Beach's oceanfront Monster Truck event last weekend put itself right in my bike path along the boardwalk. I was carrying the Nikon D800 and shot some frames of the 1944 Seagrave fire truck-turned-monster truck in 1993 by VaBch fireman Don Moss. You can probably imagine its appeal to the spectators. Huge. Particularly to children.
Another Mermaid book cover is working; this one in Europe. I don't have the design yet, but this is the base photo. Model is Christina Macfarlane offshore Cozumel, Mexico.
Chuck Guthrie and my vintage hat project moved into a new phase last week capturing about 20 new hats at a museum in Richmond, Virginia with the assistance of Elli Morris and the staff at the museum.
This project continues to excite us. The backstories, which are helping make it so interesting, will surface later.
Underwater Photography Magazine (UwP66 issue) also has this full page ad for a unique mermaid portfolio-building workshop.
Two photographers, Robert Minnick and me, host a dozen mermaids on a boat cruising the central Bahamas teaching modeling technique and photographing the mermaids in a week-long variety of exotic island, sand, water and underwater locations.
The mermaids depart the boat with a healthy dose of fresh air and sunshine, new friends with similar interests and image additions taking their portfolios to exciting new levels.
Mermaid in the ad is Ashley Nadine in central Florida's Rainbow River Headspring. Tail by Eric Ducharme (themertailor.com).
The new Underwater Photography Magazine issue is out now. The largest of the OnLine Diving magazines just released the May/June 2012 issue (UwP66) and it can be downloaded free from http://uwpmag.com.
One of the images we shot for Hasselblad's product launch of their 60-megapixel digital back is on the cover along with the story inside. It's about underwater work and interaction with mermaids. Kristi Sherk, Washington, DC area, was the lead talent for the shoot along with a silicone tail by Eric Ducharme (themertailor.com) in Crystal River, Florida. The shoot was done in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Chuck Guthrie and I were on a liveaboard dive boat cruising around the Turks & Caicos Islands last week. On Saturday, we returned to Provo's Turtle Cove Marina and docked right behind this 130' boat which turned out to be a friend's from Virginia Beach. A couple of cell calls and emails and we had permission for the Captain to show us around. An incredible boat!
This is an element of, I think, of the Vintage Hat Project - Roswell, New Mexico Area 51 version. The "alien" is on loan from Christina Macfarlane's BOHOBO Studio. For now, call this a work-in-progress. More later.
Spent the last three days in, on, around, cleaning and taking the boat to an in-water boat show at the Cavalier Yacht Club in Virginia Beach. Last night, finally back at my dock, collapsed on the bow leaning against the windshield watching the western sky. iPhone pix.
Young Jenna and a pal (11-12 year olds) were here for a sleepover and play day over the weekend. They know the studio as well as me and love the wig box, shoes, hats, boots and all manner of props. They know what they want to shoot and do their own styling with only a little help.
Borrowed the red steel ring from Bob Minnick and Malena Sharkey. Hung it from the rigging over the cyc. Lit the background; main light is a ringlight.
Fun Stuff. Then off to Julia Roberts and Mirror-Mirror at a Bistro theater (pizza and a drink during the movie. Lots of legroom. Yum).
See, I have some semblance of balance.
Another mermaid book cover is soon to be in bookstores. Christina Macfarlane and I shot this cover in an inland lake in Palau, Micronesia. The lake, Jellyfish Lake, has thousands of jellyfish that over time with no natural predators, have lost their sting.
Waking Storms is the second book in a trilogy by Sarah Parker. The first book cover was done off Cozumel, Mexico with Malena Sharkey.
Cancer seems to be affecting nearly all of us somehow, so being part of finding a cure is a no-brainer. One group intimately involved is Lynnhaven Dive Center (aka Lynnhaven Adventure Outfitters) and ADS (Advanced Diving Supply/ADS Tactical). This year's D4AC, a two-day event at LDC beginning Friday, April 20, has a goal of $75,000 that is passed 100% to cancer research through sales, donations and auctions.
One item in D4AC 2012 is a commemorative t-shirt. Robby Smolen, a graphic design talent at ADS, needed a diver silhouette or outline for his design, so I gave him a number of image choices from my 191,000 image database. The resulting graphic is the diver outline filled with the cancer ribbons we see everywhere.
The SCUBAPRO-clad diver model is Christina Macfarlane.
See http://www.ldcscuba.com for more information.
Still working on vintage hat project. This week and last, we're doing the research on materials, sources and creating a data file on each hat. Some of the veils needed replacing after 100 years, so we found a source of material in New York and will replace those needing it this week.
Here, Melissa Kuhlman is wearing a black velvet low-profile hat with horsehair wisps on her left side. It was made in Canada exclusively for G. Howard Hodge, 5th Avenue, New York.
On location at the bar in the Ocean Boulevard Restaurant in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, a magazine Creative Director and I designed this image and did the digital capture. Then the shot wasn't used for the issue.
It's typical to overshoot for an article and when the layout is full, the unused images become "outtakes."
This is an outtake, but I like it. So, here it goes.
I'm chuckling after my conversation with tail-maker Eric Ducharme (themertailor.com) earlier today. Our tongue-in-cheek color banter went from "Red Sea" to "Maroon Magenta Sherbert" to "Wild Cherry."
The model is, of course, Kristi Sherk. She's no stranger to these pages, cover and centerfold model for the premier issue of Mermaids & Mythology magazine, principal female model for the Hasselblad 60 megapixel digital back product launch shoot and others.
Headpiece and earrings were custom made for us by Christina Macfarlane at BOHOBO (bohobocollective.com)
Had a minute between paper projects and wanted to try out some new software. A folder of Erica's images were handy since I'd just made a print for her.
Now back to the other work.