It's That Time of Year....

...When I forget I have actual work to do and get wrapped up in the holidays. Sorry.

Mini update: A recent fashion set is under review at one of my favorite magazines, so fingers crossed. I am contemplating a trip to NYC in early-mid January, assuming I can schedule a few meetings (either myself, or through my agency). I am also contemplating another trip to LA at the end of January, assuming I can find a stylist I like. I'm thinking trips to LA might be a once-a-month type of thing. I like the drive, oddly enough, and it's a good excuse to work in another market.

I have a few shoots in my head, the question is whether or not I can get them out. Mostly beauty shoots, since those aren't time-sensitive, and easier to produce. However, the one I have booked for the 7th, which seemed really interesting in theory, involves some accessories I'm having a hell of a time acquiring, despite having actually obtained the elusive Pull Letter. Cue sad face.

In the meantime, here's a shot from the second LA shoot from earlier in the month, a beauty shoot. This is my best Tom Ford impression. :)

Oh Instagram, You Silly Minx

Ah, Instagram.

I'm just gonna go ahead and leave this here for you.

There's more to it than this, though. Instagram is a service and a business. They do not charge you to download the app. They do not charge you a subscription to continue using the app. You are using *their* software to produce content--you HAD to know there was a catch, right? You waived your right to complain when you agreed to their TOS. If you don't care about copyright, and you don't care about what you're producing, then this is all fine. 90% of Instagram seems to be snapshots of inside jokes. It's a little narcissistic to assume anyone would really care about these types of photos.

If you really cared about copyright, and protecting your work as an artist, and you took the business of photography seriously, then you would have been informed enough initially not to enter into a contract with Instagram in the first place. I freely admit I have bias because I have never had an interest in Instagram, but these same issues can be applied to Facebook because....FACEBOOK PURCHASED INSTAGRAM. Instagram only changed their TOS to parallel that of Facebook, now their parent company.

Facebook is a free service that I use often. I don't agree with their policies, but I understand they have the right to farm my information and content. It might be overly simplistic, but what would Facebook really want with single, lo-res image from a single fashion editorial? They're more interested in knowing I'm a 20-something American female in a relationship who "likes" certain things so they can send me targeted ads for engagement rings and cake mix (no, really, that's, like, all I get from them). For the time being, I suspect that's all Instagram wants, too, if that.

There are too many legal issues at hand and too much speculation. We have no idea what will happen until Instagram and Facebook actually do something. For all we know, Instagram won't actually want access to actual photos, and the phrasing of the TOS is simply to cover all bases so they can legally have access to them at a later date, should they decide that's what they want. Honestly, that's probably all this is: "We have no idea what we'll want from you in the future, but we reserve the right to take all the time we need to figure it out and still be protected when we make a decision."

Don't like it? Don't do it. Delete your account and all your photos. Otherwise, I really don't want to hear about it.

Edit: yes, I understand the irony/hypocrisy of this commentary on something like Blogger. I'm ok with it.

Hi!

Don't run away yet. Being the trendsetter than I am, I decided to start a blog dedicated to fashion photography and whatnot. Insert requisite "OMG, it's not 2008" joke here.

This is not my first blog post. This is not my first blog. Sadly, the Blog Virgin ship has sailed. Before I shot fashion, I shot erotica. I ran "Nekkid With A Camera", which was an excuse to self-promote*, but also a chance to discuss issues regarding women in the arts, human sexuality, portrayal of sex in the arts, post teaser pictures (no pun intended), and tell a few funny stories.

I don't expect this blog to be much different. Wayward nipples still seem to show up in my work, but over all, expect more fashion and fewer cum shots. As one prospective agent described it, "it's like eye-fucking with a wardrobe".

There will still be discussions of women in the arts, women in fashion, and issues of sexuality in fashion. I will, at some point, discuss why I switched from erotica to fashion, and how this isn't that drastic of a change. I will discuss the ever-changing role of feminism in fashion, and the malleability of gender roles in an industry that simultaneously works hard to set ideals, then try to break them. I'll post some funny stories, when I have them. Feel free to ask questions.

This really isn't that organized. Something will pop into my head, I'll feel compelled to share it.

So, hi. Welcome. Here's a teaser photo from a fashion editorial I shot in LA two weeks ago.

*Don't laugh. I got a job for German "Cosmopolitan" through that blog.