This picture is directly inspired by Lindsay Adler and her beautiful series of photos she did with baby powder and dancers. This is the image that inspired my shoot, but I still hoped to take it in my own direction. I know that baby powder or flour shots aren't new, but it is what the artist wants to say with the technique that makes something new. Here is a blog post that I wrote about this pic and with lots of behind the scenes pictures :)
For me, the act of creating something out of nothing is why I started photography in the first place. It felt so wonderful, and inspirational, to get up in the early morning darkness to create this image. My goals were to create something "primal", to style her like a "warrior", to create an "empty" frame and to bring simplicity to this image, something that I feel I've been lacking in lately. Either way anyone feels about it, I felt such passion while creating this that I am happy, content, and excited. I love that sense of calm that a picture can bring.
I kept saying to the model here, Sonalii Castillo, that I wanted her to be like a rogue warrior of the earth being born again....the concept probably sounds silly, and I know it sounds funny, but hey, inspiration can come from odd places. I have a thing for warriors...and pirates...but that is for another day.
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Tags: baby powder warrior jumping wings emerging floating hanging emptiness blue field brookeshaden texture by les brumes fine art photography surrealism whimsy primal
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This picture was created on Sunday during my second workshop in Austin, TX! My model gave me the idea to make the carpet red after an hour of editing in the airport :) It was a whirlwind trip, very busy! I wrote a blog post about my trip to Texas as well as my trip to Death Valley with tons of pics in this blog post.
I love when I can find an inspiring place to take pictures in. I love when I find places like this - it was a very unique house. Extremely creepy! Made even more creepy by the fact that there were thunder storms throughout the night and other unexplained creaks and tinkles of sounds. It was a really fun weekend...back to picture-taking in my home town...I'm feeling very inspired :)
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Tags: levitation fine art photography blood red Ouija board victorian falling spirit lifting ghost texture by les brumes brookeshaden
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This was taken at one of my workshops this past weekend in NYC. I taught a total of 25 people over 2 days and was lucky enough to have this inspiring location to shoot in. I found endless inspiration here, and I think a lot of other people did as well. I know that I gush over teaching workshops a lot, but I just can't help it! I love them...such a unique bond that forms with workshoppers.
I'll be posting a blog soon with pictures from the workshops as well as from the meetup that I co-hosted with Lindsay Adler - turned out to be a wonderful night in NYC and I was so thrilled to meet so many new photogs, as well as some that I knew from Flickr!!
Today I have work to finish up, but in the not-too-distant future I will be in the Amazing Maize Maze navigating my way through corn with friends and family...Why, you may ask? Because that's just what we do here in rural PA ;-D
Model is my sister-in-law, Stephanie Perez :)
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This was the last of the images that I took in Washington, or at least what I plan on sharing. Who knows, maybe that burnt house photo will grow on me...
Anyway...We were driving out of the Hoh Rain Forest trying to get to the beach when we saw this abandoned house. I yelped! and made everyone turn back to go explore. The floor inside was completely soggy and caving in so we didn't dare shimmy through the slightly open but busted window. I loved the outside of the house way more than the inside so I was happy to shoot out front. I did this one as a self since it felt most appropriate, what with my fairytale-pater-pan obsessions.
Tags: abandoned house dollhouse blue floating flying overgrown dreaming self portrait brookeshaden
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I took this picture in Washington on the day when I went to the rain forest, and after my Seattle workshop the day before. This was our last stop on a day when we went to the civil war re-enactment, the rain forest, an abandoned house, Forks (where Twilight is based), and then here. The beach had HUGE trees washed ashore from the ocean. They were all white and cracked and looming like a sign of the world's end. I decided on the spot that I had to create a picture there, because to not photograph it would be very sad indeed. Even more important than having that photograph though is the feeling that stays with me when I think about being there...it was both beautiful and tragic at the same time, a combination of emotions that stirs something deep within me.
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Tags: brookeshaden trees fallen ocean decay weathered grow wind texture by les brumes
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